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PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF    MANCHESTER 


HISTORICAL    SERIES,  No.  XI. 


A  Biography  of  Thomas  Deacon 


Sherratt  &  Hughes 

Publishers  to  the  Victoria  University  of  Manchester 

Manchester  :  34  Cross  Street 

London:  33  Soho  Square,  W. 

Agents  for  the  United  States 

Longmans,  Green  &  Co. 

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in  2007  with  funding  from 

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THOMAS    DEACON, 


^% 


A  Biography 


OF 


THOMAS  DEACON 

The  Manchester  Non-Juror 


BY 


HENRY    BROXAP,   M.A. 


0 


MANCHESTER 

At  the   University  Press 
1911 


University  of  Manchester  Publications 
No.  LIX. 


To 


MV  FATHER  AND  MOTHER 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 
Preface ix 

List  of  Authorities xv 

Chapter  I. — Introduction 

„      II. — Thomas  Deacon's  Birth  and   Early  Life;   his 

Ordination  and  Connection  with  the  '15        -       i 

„     III. — Deacon  and  the  "Usages"  Controversy;    The 

New  Communion  Office  of  1718   -        -         -     25 

„  IV. — Deacon's  Removal  to  Manchester ;  Short 
Account  of  Manchester  in  1720;  JohnByrom's 
"Private  Journal  and  Literary  Remains"      -     51 

„       V. — Deacon's  Social  Life  in  Manchester,  1720-45     -    61 

„     VI. — Deacon's  Medical  Career  -        -        -         -     81 

„   VII. — Deacon  as  Non-juror  1720-44;  His  Consecration 

as  Bishop 89 

„  VI 1 1.— Manchester  and  the  '45;  Execution  of  T.  T. 
Deacon;  The  Controversy  of  1746-8  :  "Man- 
chester vindicated  " 105 

„     IX. — Deacon's  last  days  and  death ;    An  Estimate  of 

his  Life  and  Character  -        -        -        -  137 

„       X. — Postscript ;  Deacon's  Successors — Natural  and 

Spiritual 151 

Appendix  A. — A  Review  of  Deacon's  Published  Works       -  1 59 

„          B. — Quotations   from   the  "Byrom-Owen"  Con- 
troversy of  1746-8         187 

„  C. — Synopsis    of    Deacon's   Letters    quoted    in 

this  work 201 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Thomas  Deacon Frontispiece 

(From,  the,  Portrait  in  the  Beading,  Boom  of  the  Chetham  Library), 

Copy  of  Thos.  Podmore's  "Letter  of  Orders"  -  face  page  157 

(From  the  original  MS.  in  possession  of  the  Manchester  Free  Reference 

Library), 


PREFACE. 


The  subject  of  the  Non-jurors,  their  principles,  their 
writings,  and  their  complete  disappearance  as  a  separate 
ecclesiastical  organisation  will  probably  be  regarded  by 
the  great  majority  of  people  as  of  little  more  than 
antiquarian  interest.  The  point  of  view  from  which  the 
movement  may  be  regarded  will  indeed  vary  in  accord- 
ance with  the  prepossessions  under  the  influences  of 
which  we  approach  the  consideration  of  the  subject. 
We  may  approve  the  sentiments  of  Dr.  Johnson^  who, 
Tory  as  he  was,  had  no  kind  things  to  say  of  the  non- 
jurors, and  indeed,  ''never  knew  a  non-juror  who  could 
reason."  We  may  possibly  sympathize  with  Macaulay^ 
in  his  statement  that  "the  non-jurors  sacrificed  both 
liberty  and  order  to  a  superstition  as  stupid  and  degrading 
as  the  Egyptian  worship  of  cats  and  onions."  And  if 
the  unusual  conjunction  in  the  literary  firmament  of  the 
two  Whig  and  Tory  luminaries  leaves  any  possibility  of 
further  choice  we  may  perhaps  adopt  the  standpoint  of 
Professor  J.  E.  B.  Mayor  in  his  introduction  to  "The 
Life  of  Ambrose  Bonwicke."  ^  '  Perhaps  the  time  has 
come  when  we  may  venture  without  offence  or  loss  of 
intellectual  caste  to  challenge  the  vulgar  verdict  upon 
the  non-jurors,  and  at  least  call  on  their  censors  to  name 
any  English  sect  so  eminent,  in  proportion  to  its  numbers, 
alike  for  solid  learning  and  for  public  as  well  as  private 
virtues.'  Whether  we  adopt  any  of  these  varying  points 
of  view,  or  any  modification  of  them,  there  will  still 
remain  in  many  minds  the  conviction  that  the  subject  has 

1.  Boswell's  "Johnson,"  June  9th,  1784,  in  conversation  at  Pembroke 
College. 

2.  "  History  of  England,"  Chapter  14. 

3.  "Life  of  Ambrose  Bonwicke,"  by  his  father;  edited,  in  1870,  by 
Professor  J.  E.  B.  Mayor,  with  "  introduction  to  the  reader,"  quoted  by 
Overton. 


PREFACE 


received  sufficient  attention  and  may  be  left  to  oblivion. 
It  is  indeed  a  matter  of  surprise  to  find  that  the  appella- 
tion of  non-juror  conveys  no  idea  whatever  to  so  many 
fairly  well-educated  people.  Millions  of  devout  people 
have  sung  Bishop  Ken's  Morning  and  Evening  Hymns 
and  a  smaller  number  have  found  delight  and  stimulus 
in  Law's  "Serious  Call,"  but  it  would  be  interesting  to 
know  what  proportion  had  ever  heard  of  the  non-juring 
movement,  or  that  Ken  and  Law  are  to  be  accounted  two 
of  the  most  saintly  figures  in  the  history  of  the  non- 
jurors. I  do  not  of  course  forget  that  Ken  and  Law 
were  non-jurors  of  a  very  different  stamp  from  such  men 
as  Hickes,  Collier  or  Brett,  and  still  more  so  from  the 
man  whose  life  is  to  be  related  in  these  pages,  yet  it 
remains  true  to  say  that  they  were  among  that  "high- 
minded  group  who  could  not  stretch  passive  obedience 
to  cover  a  transfer  of  allegiance."  ^ 

If  we  come  nearer  home  it  certainly  would  not  occur 
to  the  Manchester  man  of  the  20th  century  that  his  city 
was  likely  to  have  been  noted  for  obstinate  adherence  to 
lost  causes,  and  yet  it  may  be  well  to  remember  that  less 
than  200  years  ago  Manchester  was  the  most  Tory  and 
Jacobite  town  in  England.  The  number  of  those  who 
pass  daily  by  the  tombstone  at  the  north-east  corner  of 
St.  Ann's  Churchyard  may  probably  be  calculated  to  a 
fair  degree  of  accuracy ;  but  it  would  be  a  much  more 
difficult  task  to  express  the  infinitesimal  proportion  of 
the  passers-by  who  pause  and  read  the  memorial  to  the 
"greatest  of  sinners  and  most  unworthy  of  primitive 
bishops,"  who  lies  buried  under  the  very  pavement 
trodden  daily  by  so  many  busy  feet.^ 

There  is  only  one  argument  to  be  pleaded  in  justifica- 
tion of  yet  another  attempt  at  relating  this  curious  and 
half  forgotten  phase  in  the  religious  history  of  England, 

1.  "  Cambridge  Modem  History,"  Vol.  vi.,  "  The  18th  Century,"  p.  808. 

2.  Deacon's  tombstone  is  not,  since  the  alterations  in  St.  Ann's  Church- 
yard, directly  over  the  place  of  interment,  which  is  actually  under  the 
pavement  in  St.  Ann's  Street. 


PREFACE 


and  that  is  to  be  found  in  the  short  passage  which  has 
already  been  quoted  from  Professor  Mayor's  ** Introduc- 
tion to  the  Reader"  in  his  edition  of  the  Life  of  Bonwicke. 
It  is  a  simple  statement  of  fact  to  say  **that  in  proportion 
to  its  numbers  no  English  sect  has  been  so  eminent  alike 
for  solid  learning  and  for  public  as  well  as  private 
virtues."  It  is  the  hope  of  the  present  writer  to  be  able 
to  prove  that  all  that  has  been  said  of  the  non-jurors  as  a 
body  may  be  specially  applicable  to  Thomas  Deacon  as 
an  individual  member  of  the  movement,  and,  in  its  later 
stages,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures.  It  will  be 
seen  that  Deacon,  out  of  communion  with  Church  and 
State  alike,  lived  in  close  friendship  with  men  high  in 
the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  sphere,  and  exercised  his  full 
share  of  influence  over  the  whole  life  of  the  town  of 
Manchester.  It  would  be  strange  indeed  if  nothing  of 
interest  could  be  written  in  the  life  of  a  man  who  was 
closely  associated  with  both  the  '15  and  '45  :  who  lived 
on  terms  of  great  intimacy  with  the  first  medical  men 
of  the  day,  and  was  himself  a  practitioner  of  no  mean 
order :  who  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  John  Byrom  and 
William  Law  :  who  actively  engaged,  and  certainly  not 
without  knowledge,  in  the  controversy  concerning  the 
'Usages'  and  who  may  be  said,  in  a  word,  to  embody 
in  his  own  person  the  latest  developments  of  the  non- 
juring  movement. 

I  have  reason  to  believe  that  I  shall  be  able  to  submit 
some  important  facts,  which  have  not  previously  been 
recorded,  with  regard  to  Deacon's  birth  and  parentage. 
I  hope  also  to  throw  some  new  light  on  various  periods 
of  the  movement  as  a  result  of  a  careful  examination  of 
the  Deacon  MSS.  now  in  the  library  at  Chetham  College. 
Many  facts  of  Deacon's  life  which  are  already  known 
and  have  been  related  by  previous  writers  will,  I  hope, 
be  brought  into  new  relations  to  each  other,  and  on  the 
whole  a  biography  of  Thomas  Deacon  is  here  related  in 
a  more  complete  form  than  has  heretofore  appeared. 


Xll 


PREFACE 


It  is  not  a  very  simple  matter  to  decide  as  to  the 
arrangement  of  a  book  on  a  subject  such  as  this,  and 
after  considerable  deliberation  I  have  decided  to  arrange 
the  work  in  the  following  manner.  The  events  of 
Deacon's  life  down  to  the  year  1720  will  be  related  in 
chronological  order.  The  years  1720  to  1745,  for 
information  as  to  which  we  are  indebted  almost  entirely 
to  "  John  Byrom's  Private  Journal  and  Literary 
Remains,"  will  be  treated  on  a  different  basis,  designed 
with  the  purpose  of  showing  Deacon's  relations  in 
various  aspects  of  life.  After  the  '45  it  will  be  found 
more  convenient  to  resume  the  chronological  order  of 
events,  but  the  sources  of  information  during  this  period 
are  of  a  very  complicated  character.  The  controversy 
of  1746-8,  which  culminated  in  the  publication  of 
**  Manchester  Vindicated  "  in  1749,  is  not  easy  to 
disentangle,  but  we  are  indebted  to  the  writers  in  this 
controversy  for  a  considerable  amount  of  information 
concerning  Thomas  Deacon's  earlier  as  well  as  later  life. 
I  have  thought  it  well  to  prepare  a  special  appendix  in 
which  I  have  quoted  from  these  writers,  at  some  length, 
various  passages  which  are  of  interest  to  our  subject. 
The  advantage  of  this  course  will  be  that  a  more 
homogeneous  story  can  be  related  in  the  text,  which 
would  otherwise  be  over-burdened  by  quotations  in 
which  the  events  of  the  '15  and  the  '45  are  described  in 
a  confused  manner. 

One  word  still  remains  to  be  said ;  it  is  no  part  of  the 
writer's  purpose  to  attack  or  to  defend  Deacon's 
theological  position.  That  position  is  not  very  easy  to 
understand,  and  reason  will  be  given  for  believing  that 
it  has  not  infrequently  been  misunderstood.  It  is  the 
aim  of  the  writer  to  make  clear  what  manner  of  man 
Thomas  Deacon  was,  and  although  approval  or 
criticism  may  be  here  and  there  expressed,  it  is  not 
intended  in  these  pages  to  adopt  any  other  attitude  than 
that  of  painstaking  historical  research. 


PREFACE 


Xlll 


My  thanks  are  due  to  the  Reverend  Alexander  Gordon, 
Lecturer  in  Ecclesiastical  History  to  the  University  of 
Manchester,  at  whose  suggestion  my  task  was  first 
undertaken,  and  from  whom  I  have  received  valuable 
advice  and  assistance  throughout  the  period  in  which 
the  work  has  been  in  preparation.  I  am  also  indebted 
to  Mr.  C.  W.  Sutton  of  the  Manchester  Free  Reference 
Library  for  suggestions  kindly  made  to  me  as  to 
additional  information  with  regard  to  the  Rebellion  of 
the  '45  so  far  as  it  concerned  Manchester,  and  especially 
for  the  prompt  communication  made  to  me  of  the 
discovery  of  the  original  record  of  the  ordination  by 
Deacon  1  of  Thomas  Podmore  in  1748;  and  to 
Professor  T.  F.  Tout  for  his  supervision  of  the 
preparation  of  the  work  for  the  press. 

HENRY   BROXAP. 

Cliff  Point, 

Lower  Broughton  Road, 
Manchester. 

\ St  March,  191 1. 


1.  See  page  157. 


XV 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  ON  WHICH  THIS 
WORK  IS  BASED. 


The  fact  that  no  complete  biography  of  Thomas  Deacon 
has  previously  been  written  may  be  regarded  on  the 
whole  as  of  advantage  to  the  present  writer,  although 
the  task  is  not  thereby  rendered  any  less  difficult.  The 
excellent  article  in  the  Dictionary  of  National  Biography, 
by  the  late  Mr.  Thompson  Cooper,  and  the  pamphlet 
written  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Sutton  entitled  ''The  Writings 
of  'Doctor'  Thomas  Deacon"  (printed  privately  in  1879) 
furnish  a  mass  of  information,  of  which  the  present  work 
is  from  certain  points  of  view  merely  a  development. 

The  one  great  authority  for  the  facts  of  the  life  of 
Deacon  is  undoubtedly  the  Private  Journal  and  Literary 
Remains  of  John  Byrom  edited  for  the  Chetham 
Society  by  Canon  R.  Parkinson  1853-8  (old  series 
Nos.  32,  34,  40,  42).  Other  publications  of  the  C.  S.  to 
which  I  am  indebted  are  Lancashire  Memorials  of  the 
Rebellion  of  1715  by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware,  1844  (old  series 
No.  5),  and  Collectanea  relating  to  Manchester,  &c.,  by 
John  Harland,  1866-7  (old  series  Nos.  68  and  72) ; 
Rectors  of  Manchester  and  Wardens  of  the  Collegiate 
Church ;  Reverend  Canon  Raines,  edited  by  J.  E.  Bailey, 
1891  (new  series  Nos.  5  and  6) ;  Lives  of  the  Fellows  of 
the  College  of  Manchester,  by  the  same  author,  edited 
by  Frank  Renaud,  M.D.,  1891  (new  series  Nos.  21  and 
23) ;  and  the  Poems  of  John  Byrom,  edited  by  Dr.  A.  W. 
Ward,  1894-5  (new  series  Nos.  29,  30,  34,  35),  the  last 
of  which  is  of  the  greatest  value  not  only  for  the 
information  with  which  the  notes  abound,  but  also  for 
the  beautiful  appreciation  of  the  character  of  John  Byrom 
which  is  contained  in  the  Introduction. 


XYi 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES 


The  following  works  have  been  found  helpful  as  to 
the  condition  of  Manchester  in  the  period  under  review. 
**  Manchester  loo  years  ago,"  being  a  Reprint  of  a 
description  of  Manchester  by  a  native  of  the  town, 
James  Ogden ;  published  in  1783,  edited,  with  an 
introduction  by  W.  E.  A.  Axon,  in  1887. 
Aston's  **  Manchester  Guide"  for  1804. 
**  Foundations  in  Manchester,"  by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware 
(1828-30).      No    student   of   matters    concerning 
Manchester  can  afford  to  disregard  Dr.  Hibbert- 
Ware's  great  work,  but  I  doubt  whether  Deacon 
was  thoroughly  understood  by  this  writer.     I  have 
given  reasons  for  this  in  my  estimate  of  Deacon's 
Life  and  Work. 
W.  E.  A.  Axon's  "Annals  of  Manchester,"   1886. 
**  The  Palatine  Notebook,"   edited  by  J.  E.  Bailey, 

I 88 1-2. 
**  Memorials   of    St.    Ann's,    Manchester";    C.    W. 

Bardsley,  1887. 
With  regard  to  the  general  history  of  the  non-juring 
movement.  Canon  Overton's  **  History  of  the  Non-jurors" 
(1902)  easily  holds  the  first  place,  but  the  earlier  work  of 
Thomas  Lathbury,  published  in  1845,  should  not  by  any 
means  be  neglected. 

The  authorities  which  deal  with  the  particular  subject 
of  this  memoir  are  fairly  numerous,  and  for  the  most 
part  may  be  consulted  in  Manchester.  Information  as 
to  Deacon's  birth  was,  however,  only  to  be  found  by  the 
collation  of  the  Last  Will  and  Testament  of  Captain 
William  Deacon  in  the  Principal  Probate  Registry  at 
Somerset  House,  the  copy  of  the  Last  Will  and 
Testament  of  Bishop  Hickes  at  Sion  College,  and  the 
Baptismal  Registers  of  St.  Dunstan's  Church,  Stepney. 
The  Deacon  MSS.  in  the  Chetham  Library  at  Manchester, 
of  which  I  have  given  a  full  account  in  the  text,  are  of 
considerable  value,  and  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
ascertain  have  not  been  called  into  requisition  by  any 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES 


xvu 


previous  writer ;  the  same  remarks  will  apply  to  the  copy 
of  MSS.  now  in  the  Library  of  the  Scottish  Episcopal 
Church  and  presented  to  the  Chetham  Library  in  1862 
by  the  Reverend  W.  Bell. 

If  Dr.  Johnson's  dictum  be  accepted  that  the  biography 
of  an  author  is  in  the  history  of  his  writings  there  is 
abundant  information  as  to  Thomas  Deacon  to  be  found 
in  his  published  works.  I  have  endeavoured  to  make  a 
review  of  his  writings  a  special  feature  of  this  work. 
Copies  of  all  the  works  are  to  be  found  in  the  Library  of 
the  British  Museum  and  also  in  Manchester,  with  the 
exception  that  no  copy  of  the  Translation  of  Tillemont's 
"  History  of  the  Arians  "  appears  to  have  found  its  way 
to  the  latter  City. 

The  following  works  were  found  to  be  of  great 
assistance  in  forming  an  estimate  of  the  "  Usages  " 
controversy. 

Collier's     "  Reasons   for   restoring    certain    Primitive 

Usages,  etc.,"  1717. 
Spinckes'  "  No  Reason  for  restoring,  etc.,"  17 17. 
Collier's    "  Defence  of  the  Reasons,"  17 18. 
Deacon's   **  Plaintiff's  charge   disproved  and  turned 

upon   himself  by  the   Defendant  "   (in  a  letter  to 

Spinckes),  17 19. 
Spinckes'  ''The  New  separation  groundless,"  1719. 
Barbery's  ''  Dialogue  between  Timothy  a  Churchman, 

and  Thomas  an  Essentialist,"  17 19. 
Spinckes'  "No  just  grounds  for  introducing  the  New 

Communion  Office,"  1720. 
Brett's  "Reply  to  above,"  1720. 
Spinckes'  "Reply  to  the  Vindication,"  1720. 
Collier's    "  Further  Defence,"  1720. 
Leslie's  "Letter  concerning  the  new  separation,"  1720. 

This  list  may  be  found  of  assistance  to  the  reader  in 
the  perusal  of  Chapter  III.,  which  deals  with  the  question 
of  the  "  Usages. 


XVlll 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES 


These  were  published  for  the  most  part  in  pamphlet 
form  but  Brett's  ''Collection  of  the  Principal  Liturgies, 
etc.,"  (1720),  and  Campbell's  "  Middle  State"  (1713)  are 
works  of  considerable  size  and  of  the  greatest  erudition. 
I  may  mention  under  this  connection  the  late  Bishop 
Dowden's  Annotated  Prayer  Book  of  the  Scottish 
Episcopal  Church  (1884),  and  the  Translation  of  the 
Liturgies  of  SS.  Mark,  James,  Clement,  Chrysostom, 
and  Basil  (Neale  and  Littledale,  London,  1869);  and 
the  Reverend  P.  Hall's  Fragmenta  Liturgica,  Bath, 
1848. 

I  have  found  also  some  results  from  the  diligent  study 
of  Notes  and  Queries,  especially  concerning  the  later 
history  of  the  Non-jurors,  but,  naturally,  the  informa- 
tion varies  considerably  in  p>oint  of  value. 

With  regard  to  what  may  be  described  as  the  political 
side  of  the  subject,  the  following  list  may  be  given. 

Patten's  '*  History  of  the  late  Rebellion  "  (1715), 
London,  1717. 

Ray's  *'Compleat  History  of  the  Rebellion"  (1745), 
Manchester,   1746. 

The  MSS.  of  Lord  Kenyon,  London,  1894  (Historical 
Manuscript's  Commission  14th  Report,  Appendix 
Part  IV.). 

Historical  Papers  relating  to  the  Jacobite  period, 
1699 — 1750,  edited  by  Colonel  James  Allardyce, 
LL.D.,  Vol.  2 :  Aberdeen,  printed  for  the  New 
Spalding  Club,  1896.  The  introduction  is  taken 
mainly  from  the  notes  of  Mr.  D.  Murray  Rose. 
Papers  30  to  45  contain  depositions  at  the  trial  of  the 
Jacobites  which  are  abbreviated  from  the  papers  of 
Sir  John  Strange  among  the  Egerton  MSS.  in  the 
British  Museum  (No.  2,000).  Sir  John  Strange  was 
one  of  the  Counsel  for  the  King  at  the  trial  of  the 
Jacobite  prisoners  in  July,  1746. 

What  may  be  described  as  the  ''Aftermath"  of  the 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  xix 

Rebellion  of  '45,  so  far  as  Manchester  was  concerned, 
may  be  studied  in  the  following  : — 

"  Manchester  Vindicated,"  Chester,  1749. 

Josiah  Owen  :  "Letter  to  the  Master  Tool, "etc.,  **Dr. 

Deacon,   try'd,"    1748. 
T.    Perceval:  "Letter    to    the    Clergy,"  "Manchester 

Politics.''    1748. 

Last  of  all  I  may  mention  a  MS.  Catalogue  of  the 
Library  of  the  Reverend  John  Clayton  in  his  own  hand- 
writing. I  have  made  some  reference  to  this  on  pages 
96  and  185.  The  Catalogue  alone  remains,  but  it 
pKDSsesses  a  certain  value  and  interest.  It  is  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Free  Reference  Library  of  the  City  of 
Manchester. 


CHAPTER     I. 

Introduction. 

Canon  Overton's  *' History  of  the  Non-jurors"  may  be 
regarded  as  the  last  word  on  the  movement  as  a  whole, 
and  this  work  must  not  be  expected  to  contain  a  complete 
statement  of  the  many  different  phases  of  thought  and 
life  which  are  represented  in  the  lOO  years'  History  of  the 
Non-jurors.  It  is  nevertheless  impossible  to  write  a 
biography  of  Deacon,  in  any  sense  worthy  of  the  name, 
which  does  not  show  his  position  in  the  movement  to 
which  he  devoted  his  life.  We  shall  find  in  fact  that  a 
study  of  Deacon's  life  will  embrace  almost  all  that 
followed  on  the  passing  away  of  the  "Deprived  Fathers." 
With  the  important  exception  of  the  negotiations  with 
the  Eastern  Patriarchs,  there  was  no  phase  in  the  later 
developments  of  the  movement  in  which  Thomas  Deacon 
was  not  concerned,  and  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  present 
chapter  to  capitulate  very  briefly  the  main  events  from 
the  Accession  of  William  and  Mary  in  1689  to  the 
appearance,  apparently  sudden  and  dramatic,  of  Deacon, 
as  intimately  concerned  with  the  rising  of  the  '15,  which 
followed  on  the  failure  of  the  negotiations  concerning  the 
succession  of  the  son  of  James  II.  to  the  throne  of  his 
father. 

It  may  be  found  convenient  to  tabulate  the  names  of 
the  original  non-juring  bishops  with  the  dates  of  their 
births  and  deaths. 

William  Sancroft  (Canterbury) 161 7 — 93 

William  Thomas  (Worcester)    16 13 — 89 

Robert  Frampton  (Gloucester)  1622 — 1708 

John  Lake  (Chichester)    1624 — 89 

Thomas  White  (Peterborough) 1628 — 98 

Francis  Turner  (Ely)  1636 — 1700 

William  Lloyd  (Norwich)  1637 — ^7^^ 

Thomas  Ken  (Bath  and  Wells) 1637—17;; 

C 


THOMAS   DEACON 


From  these  dates  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Bishops  of 
Worcester  and  Chichester  were  already  at  the  end  of 
their  career  when  the  crisis  of  the  Revolution  occurred : 
Ken  and  Frampton  from  the  first  assumed  a  position  of 
moderation  and  conciliation :  and  Sancroft  formally 
delegated  his  authority  to  Lloyd,  who,  with  Turner  and 
White  were  the  real  leaders  of  what  was  now  about  to 
become  a  definitely  separated  and  organised  religious 
body. 

The  delegation  on  February  9,  16JJ,  by  Sancroft  of 
his  metropolitical  powers  to  Lloyd  may  be  taken  as  our 
starting  point.  The  original  document  is,  with  other 
remains  of  Sancroft,  in  the  possession  of  Emmanuel 
College,  Cambridge,  but  a  copy  is  preserved  in  the 
Library  at  Sion  College,  which  it  has  been  my  privilege 
to  see.  "In  a  word  whatsoever  you  shall  of  yourself 
do  or  order  to  be  done  in  affairs  of  this  kind,  all  that 
how  great  so  ever  or  of  what  sort  so  ever  it  be,  boldly 
impute  it  to  me.  I,  William,  have  written  it  with  my 
own  hand  and  will  stand  by  it."  **  Mihi  audenter 
imputa.  Ecce !  Ego  Wilhelmus  manu  mea  scripsi : 
ego  praestabo." 

The  * 'affairs  of  this  kind"  were  no  less  than  proposals 
to  continue  the  succession  of  the  non-juring  bishops  by 
new  consecrations.  The  methods  adopted  were  all  based 
on  the  assumption  that  the  Revolution  Government  both 
in  Church  and  State  was  unlawful,  and  that  the  source 
of  all  authority  still  remained  in  the  person  of  James  IL 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  the  non-juring 
Bishops  treated  the  Government  of  William  and  Mary 
as  simply  non-existent.  "The  King  over  the  Water" 
was  to  them  the  only  King,  and  they  considered  that  the 
whole  of  their  procedure  was  normal  and  constitutional. 

The  normal  method  of  the  appointment  of  bishops  was 
then  exactly  what  it  is  at  the  present  time.  Nomination 
by  the  Sovereign,  followed  by  an  election  by  Dean  and 
Chapter,     was     necessary     before     the     formalities    of 


INTRODUCTION  3 

confirmation  by  the  Bishops  of  the  Province  could  take 
place,  and  if  the  elect  were  not  already  a  Bishop, 
consecration  to  the  Episcopal  Order  formed  the  final 
stage.  The  difficulty  in  the  present  case  was  that 
election  by  Dean  and  Chapter  could  not  be  obtained  and 
resource  was  therefore  had  to  an  Act  of  Henry  VIII., 
under  which  Suffragan  Bishops  could  be  consecrated 
immediately  on  nomination  by  the  Crown.  A  similar 
attempt  was  contemplated  before  the  Restoration  of 
1660,  in  view  of  the  possibility  of  the  succession  of 
Bishops  being  extinguished,  but  the  necessity  passed 
away  with  the  return  of  the  Stuarts.  What  was  then 
merely  proposed  was  now  actually  accomplished.  A 
full  account  of  the  whole  proceedings  is  given  us  by  Dr. 
George  Hickes,^  one  of  the  newly  consecrated  Bishops, 
who  so  dominated  the  entire  movement  that  the 
expression  ''the  Communion  of  Dr.  Hickes"  was  in  the 
latter  years  of  Queen  Anne  used  to  signify  the  body  of 
non-jurors. 

George  Hickes  (1642 — 17 15)  of  Magdalen  and  Lincoln 
Colleges,  Oxford,  held  many  preferments,  and  in 
August,  1683,  was  appointed  Dean  of  Worcester.  He 
was  deprived  on  February  ist,  16^,  but  a  notice  of 
protest  was  affixed  by  him  to  the  doors  of  his  Cathedral. 
On  the  decision  by  the  deprived  Bishops  to  continue  the 
succession,  Hickes  was  selected  to  proceed  to  France  to 
obtain  the  consent  of  King  James,  and  in  his  own  very 
full  account  of  the  transaction  two  points  may  be 
particularly  noticed.  The  first  of  these  is  the  delay 
which  occurred  in  obtaining  any  answer  from  James, 
which  was  occasioned  by  the  discovery  that,  as  a  matter 
of  conscience,  it  was  necessary  to  refer  the  question  to 
Pope  Innocent  XII.  and  to  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  and 
the  Bishop  of  Meaux.     Canon  Overton  remarks  that  an 

1.  See  Overton,  p.  84,  Note  :  30  copies  of  Dr.  Hickes  "Records  of  the 
New  Consecrations"  were  printed  and  distributed  privately  by  Dr. 
Richard  Rawlinson. 


THOMAS   DEACON 


Englishman's  choler  is  inclined  to  rise  when  he  reads 
of  this  stage  in  the  proceedings.  The  "choler"  may 
perhaps  be  taken  for  granted  but  there  is  little  occasion 
for  it.  The  plain  fact  is  that  the  non-jurors  had  nothing 
to  do  with  Innocent  XII.,  nor  he  with  them.  They 
neither  desired  nor  received  Papal  approval.  The  whole 
matter  lay  between  the  Pope  and  James  who  was  advised 
that  he  might  safely  intermeddle  in  these  matters,  and 
the  Royal  consent  was  thereupon  formally  given. 

The  second  point  worthy  of  notice  is  that  the  deprived 
Bishops  expressly  determined  to  proceed  with  the  matter 
even  without  the  King's  consent,  if  that  were  for  any 
reason  withheld.  Here  is  the  first  sign  of  the  conception 
of  the  independence  of  the  Church  which  developed  to 
such  an  extent  that,  as  we  shall  see,  Thomas  Deacon  in 
1750  actually  held  it  unlawful  to  communicate  with  the 
Church  of  England  because  she  held  the  doctrine  of  the 
King's  supremacy. 

Hickes  returned  to  England  and  the  consecrations 
thereupon  took  place,  Hickes  being  nominated  by 
Sancroft,  and  Thomas  Wagstaffe  by  Lloyd.  A  short 
extract  from  Hickes'  own  account  may  be  given.  **He 
(Hickes)  came  to  London  on  the  4th  February,  16^^^ 
and  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Matthias,  the  24th  of  the  same 
month,  the  consecrations  were  solemnly  performed 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  Church  of  England  by  Dr. 
William  Lloyd,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  Dr.  Francis  Turner, 
Bishop  of  Ely,  and  Dr.  Thomas  White,  Bishop  of 
Peterborough,  at  the  Bishop  of  Peterborough's  lodgings 
at  the  Reverend  Mr.  William  Giffard's  house  at 
Southgate  in  Middlesex  :  Dr.  Ken,  Bishop  of  Bath  and 
Wells,  giving  his  consent."  ^ 

Thomas  Wagstaffe  (1645 — 171 2)  the  second  Bishop 
consecrated  at  this  time,  of  Charterhouse,  and  New  Inn 
Hall,  Oxford,  had  been  Chancellor  and  Prebendary  of 

1.  Hickes  assumed  the  title  of  Bishop-Suffragan  of  Thetford,  and 
Wagstaffe  of  Ipswich. 


INTRODUCTION  5 

Lichfield,  but  was  of  course  deprived  at  the  Revolution. 
He  does  not  appear  to  have  exercised  his  episcopal  office, 
but  was  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  strongest  defenders 
of  the  non-jurors  by  his  pen,  entering  into  controversy 
with  Bishop  Burnet  and  Dr.  Sherlock.  He  was  one  of 
the  many  non-jurors  who  had  studied  medicine,  and 
although  without  any  degree  or  license,  contrived  to 
maintain  himself  and  his  family  by  the  practice  of  physic 
in  London.  The  date  of  his  death  was  October  17th, 
1 71 2,  and  Bishop  Hickes  was  therefore  the  only  Bishop 
surviving  of  the  non-jurors,  and  the  further  consecrations 
took  place  which  bring  us  much  nearer  to  our  own 
particular  subject. 

It  may  be  well  however,  before  recording  this  further 
consecration,  to  point  out  one  or  two  features  character- 
istic of  the  period  from  1693 — 17 13.  The  fact  of  the 
earlier  consecrations  having  taken  place  was  known  to 
few;  it  is  stated  by  Canon  Overton^  that  even  Thos. 
Hearne  did  not  know  anything  about  the  matter  so  late 
as  171 1.  Bishop  Hickes  passed  the  intervening  time  in 
comparative  retirement,  but  in  1696  his  house  at  Bagshot 
Heath  was  set  upon  by  a  mob,  in  the  midst  of  the 
excitement  caused  by  the  attempted  assassination  of 
William  III.  In  the  same  year  he  wrote  a  ** Declaration 
concerning  the  Faith  and  Religion  in  which  he  lived  and 
intended  to  die."  The  Declaration  is  quoted  in  full  by 
Canon  Overton^  and  deserves  to  be  carefully  read.  One 
extract  only  need  be  given  here,  ''  I  profess  and  declare 
the  Church  of  England  as  it  was  governed  and 
administered  by  true  and  lawful  and  rightful  Bishops 
before  the  Revolution  to  have  been  a  true  and  sound 
part  of  the  Catholic  Church.  ...  I  am  fully  persuaded 
and  declare  that  the  Church  of  England  now  consists  in 
the  deprived  Bishops  so  called  and  that  faithful  remnant 
which  adheres  to  them,  and  that  the  other  Archbishops 

1.  Overton's  "  History  of  Non-jurors,"  p.  90. 

2.  Ibid.,  p.  102. 


6  THOMAS    DEACON 

and  Bishops,  and  the  great  majority  adhering  to  them, 
are  guilty  of  a  great  schism  to  be  lamented  by  all  good 
Christians." 

This  is  a  most  uncompromising  statement  of  what  may 
be  called  the  original  position  of  the  non-jurors,  but  if 
Hickes'  statement  as  to  the  pre-Revolution  Church  being 
a  true  and  sound  part  of  the  Catholic  Church  be 
contrasted  with  Deacon's  Doctrine  of  the  Church  as 
stated  in  his  "Comprehensive  View,"  it  will  be  noted 
how  great  the  change  is  between  Hickes  in  1696  and 
Deacon  in  1748. 

During  these  years  of  storm  and  suffering  Hickes 
published  in  1703-5  his  greatest  work  '*  Linguarum 
veterum  septentrionalium  thesaurus  grammatico-criticus 
et  archaeologicus." 

This  work  together  with  his  "  Institutiones  Gram- 
maticae  Anglo-Saxonicae  et  Maeso-Gothicae,"  published 
in  1689,  won  for  Hickes  a  reputation  which  extended 
over  Europe.^ 

The  death  of  Wagstaffe  in  1712  occurred  at  a  time 
apparently  much  more  favourable  to  the  non-jurors  than 
was  the  case  in  1693.  The  Revolution  was  not  now 
universally  regarded  as  beyond  criticism.  Bishop  Geo. 
Hooper  (1640 — 1727)  who,  high  Churchman  as  he  was, 
took  the  oaths  at  the  Revolution  and  almost  persuaded 
Bishop  Ken  to  do  the  same,  and  who  only  accepted  the 
See  of  Bath  and  Wells  after  urgently  desiring  Ken  to 
accept  the  offer  made  to  him  of  his  old  See  by  Queen 
Anne,  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  "the  Revolution  was 
not  much  to  be  boasted  of."     The  Sacheverell  trial,  the 


1.  The  following  quotation,  which  refers  to  the  Thesaurus,  is  taken 
from  the  article  on  Hickes  in  Chalmers'  Biographical  Dictionary  : — 
"  The  great  Duke  of  Tuscany's  envoy  sent  a  copy  of  it  to  his  master, 
which  His  Highness  looking  into  and  finding  full  of  strange  characters, 
called  a  council  of  the  Dotti  and  commanded  them  to  peruse  and  give 
an  account  of.  They  did  so,  and  reported  it  to  be  an  excellent  work, 
and  that  they  believed  the  author  to  be  a  man  of  a  particular  head ;  for 
this  was  the  envoy's  compliment  to  Hickes  when  he  went  to  him  with  a 
present  from  his  master." 


INTRODUCTION 


passing  of  the  Act  against  Occasional  Conformity,  the 
growing  impression  that  Queen  Anne  could  be  prevailed 
upon  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  succession  of  her  brother, 
and  the  widespread  dislike  of  a  possible  Hanoverian 
succession,  all  pointed  in  the  same  direction  of  a  general 
revival  of  Toryism  and  Jacobitism.  The  earnest 
desire^  expressed  by  Bishop  Ken  that  the  schism  might 
now  be  healed,  which  was  followed  by  the  return  to  the 
Church  of  such  men  as  Dodwell  and  Nelson,  deprived 
the  non-jurors  of  what  may  be  styled  the  more  moderate 
element,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  more  extreme 
developments  which  were  not  long  in  manifesting  them- 
selves. The  signs  of  an  entirely  new  tendency  are  to  be 
found  in  the  names  of  the  two  Bishops  whom  Hickes 
now  called  in  to  assist  him  in  the  further  perpetuation 
of  the  non-juring  line.  On  the  Feast  of  the  Ascension, 
14th  of  May,  1 7 13,  Hickes,  with  Bishops  Archibald 
Campbell  and  James  Gadderar  consecrated  in  his  own 
Oratory  in  Scroop's  Court  near  St.  Andrew's,  Holborn, 
Jeremy  Collier,  Nathaniel  Spinckes,  and  Samuel  Hawes. 
Some  space  must  be  found  for  a  brief  notice  not  only  of 
the  newly-consecrated,  but  also  of  the  tw^o  Scottish  Bishops 
whom  Hickes  now  called  to  his  assistance.  We  may 
suitably  introduce  Bishop  Archibald  Campbell  by  quoting 
Dr.  Johnson's  estimate  of  his  character  as  given  in 
Boswell's  **Tour  to  the  Hebrides"  under  the  date  of 
October  25th.  Boswell  gives  us,  with  considerable 
detail  and  with  evident  appreciation  of  the  high  company 
in  which  he  found  himself,  an  account  of  a  visit  of  Dr. 
Johnson  and  himself  to  the  Duke  of  Argyll  at  Inverary. 
After  recording  in  his  own  inimitable  style  the  impression 
made  upon  his  fancy  by  the  ladies'  maids  tripping  abbut 
in  neat  morning  dress,  and  Dr.  Johnson's  statement  that 
what  he  most  admired  was  "the  total  defiance  of 
expense,"  Boswell  tells  us  of  a  conversation  at  table 
which  is  of  interest  to  our  subject. 

1.  Lathbury's  "History  of  the  Non-jurors,"  p.  204. 


8 


THOMAS    DEACON 


"  I  know  not  how  a  middle  state  came  to  be 
mentioned.  Her  Grace  wished  to  hear  him  (Johnson) 
on  that  point,  *  Madam,'  said  he,  'your  own  relation, 
Mr.  Archibald  Campbell,  can  tell  you  better  about  it  than 
I  can.  He  was  a  Bishop  of  the  non-juring  communion 
and  wrote  a  book  on  the  subject.'  "  Further  information 
is  given  by  Boswell  in  a  footnote  appended  to  the  text, 
which  I  here  quote,  **Dr.  Johnson  and  I  spent  some 
time  together  in  June,  1784,  at  Pembroke  College,  with 
Rev.  Dr.  Adams,  the  Master,  and  I  having  expressed  a 
regret,  that  my  note  relative  to  Mr.  Archibald  Campbell 
was  imperfect,  he  (Johnson)  was  then  so  good  as  to  write 
with  his  own  hand  on  the  blank  page  of  the  journal 
opposite  to  that  which  contained  what  I  have  now 
mentioned,  the  following  paragraph  which  however  is 
not  quite  so  full  as  the  narrative  he  gave  at  Inverary. 
*  The  Hon.  Archibald  Campbell  was,  I  believe,  the 
nephew  of  the  Marquis  of  Argyll.  He  began  life  by 
engaging  in  Monmouth's  Rebellion,  and  to  escape  the 
law  lived  some  time  in  Surinam.^  When  he  returned  he 
became  zealous  for  episcopacy  and  monarchy,  and  at 
the  Revolution  he  adhered  not  only  to  the  non-jurors 
but  to  those  who  refused  to  communicate  with  the  Church 
of  England,  or  to  be  present  at  any  worship  where  the 
usur|>er  was  mentioned  as  King.  He  was,  I  believe,  more 
than  once  apprehended  in  the  reign  of  King  William 
and  once  at  the  Accession  of  George.  He  was  the 
familiar  friend  of  Hickes  and  Nelson,  a  man  of  letters 
but  injudicious;  very  curious  and  inquisitive,  but 
credulous.     He  died  in  1743-4,  about  75  years  old.'  " 

To  this  account  of  Dr.  Johnson  it  may  be  added  that 
Archibald  Campbell  was  the  second  son  of  Lord  Niel 
Campbell,  the  second  son  of  Archibald  Campbell  (1598 — 
1661),  Marquis  of  Argyll  and  eighth  Earl,  executed  by 

1.  Another  name  for  Dutch  Guiana  and  for  a  river  in  that  country. 
It  was  given  to  the  Dutch  in  1667  in  exchange  for  New  Amsterdam 
(New  York),  and  in  1803  it  was  again  taken  by  the  English,  but  restored 
to  the  Dutch  at  the  peace  of  1814. 


INTRODUCTION 


Charles  II.,  27th  of  May,  1661.  His  uncle  referred  to 
by  Johnson  was  the  ninth  Earl.  It  is  not  very  easy  to 
see  how  Campbell  came  to  be  among  the  party  of  the 
extreme  non-jurors.  His  mother,  Lady  Vere  Ker, 
daughter  of  the  third,  and  sister  of  the  fourth  Earl  of 
Lothian,  was  in  the  confidence  of  William  III.,  but, 
hereditary  influences  notwithstanding,  Archibald  Camp- 
bell during  the  whole  period  we  have  in  review  may  be 
described  as  the  "  stormy  petrel  "  of  the  non-juring 
movement,  and  was  moreover,  the  only  man  with  whom 
Deacon  remained  in  communion  in  the  course  of  his  later 
development.  Campbell  was  consecrated  Bishop  at 
Aberdeen  on  August  25th,  171 1,  by  Bishops  Rose, 
Douglas,  and  Falconer,  and  in  1721  was  elected  Diocesan 
Bishop  of  the  See  of  Aberdeen.  The  comments  of 
George  Lockhart  on  this  consecration  are  very  pointed. 
**  Though  adorned  with  none  of  the  qualifications 
necessary  in  a  Bishop  and  remarkable  for  some  things 
inconsistent  with  the  character  of  a  gentleman,  he  was 
most  imprudently  consecrated  some  time  ago.*'  ^ 
Campbell  will  appear  again  in  these  memoirs,  but  I 
venture  to  think  that  a  brief  study  of  the  career  of  this 
wandering  prelate  will  fully  justify  the  criticisms  which 
have  already  been  quoted.  He  never  administered  the 
Diocese  of  Aberdeen,  and  formally  resigned  it  in  1725 
to  James  Gadderar,  his  co-consecrator  on  the  occasion 
which  is  now  being  reviewed. 

Notice  of  Campbell's  **  Middle  State"  may  be  deferred 
till  we  come  to  deal  with  Deacon's  book  on  ''Purgatory." 

James  Gadderar  (1655 — 1733),  one  of  the  ''rabbled" 
clergy  of  1688,  was  consecrated  February  24th,  1712,  at 
the  express  desire  of  Rose,  deprived  Bishop  of 
Edinburgh,  by  Hickes,  Falconer,  and  Campbell.  He 
took  some  part  in  the  negotiations  with  the  Eastern 
Patriarchs,  but  his  history  really  belongs  to  his  native 
country,  and  he  is  chiefly  memorable  for  his  connection 

1.  Lockhart  Papers,  ii,  37. 


10  THOMAS  DEACON 

with  the  present  liturgy  of  the  Scottish  Episcopal 
Church. 

As  to  the  consecration  itself  the  official  record,  dated 
June  3rd,  1 7 13,  refers  to  the  Royal  consent,^  but  no 
mention  is  made  of  the  Act  of  Henry  VIII.,  and  it  is 
quite  evident  that  a  further  stage  of  development  has 
now  been  reached.  Hickes  is  described  as  Bishop  of 
the  English  Catholic  Church,  and  Campbell  and 
Gadderar  as  of  the  Scottish  Catholic  Church.  The 
interference  of  the  Scottish  Bishops  in  this  affair  was  in 
itself  highly  irregular,  and  we  are  now  at  the  beginning 
of  a  series  of  consecrations  which  are  uncanonical  from 
any  point  of  view. 

As  to  the  three  Bishops  now  consecrated,  Jeremy 
Collier  (1650 — 1726)  the  best  known,  and  to  us  the  most 
interesting  as  the  Bishop  from  whom  Deacon  received 
deacon's  and  priest's  orders,  was  one  of  the  many  non- 
juring  divines  whose  fame  extends  beyond  the  narrow 
limits  of  their  religious  communion.  He  came  into  great 
prominence  in  connection  with  the  execution  of  Sir  John 
Friend  and  Sir  William  Parkyns,  who  were  condemned 
to  death  for  their  share  in  the  assassination  plots  of  1696. 
Collier,  with  Cook  and  Snatt,  two  other  non-juring 
priests,  publicly  absolved  the  criminals,  and  as  a  result 
all  three  were  indicted  of  absolving  traitors  and  found 
guilty.*  Collier  did  not  surrender  and  was  outlawed, 
and  an  outlaw  he  remained  till  the  end  of  his  life, 
although  he  resumed  his  ordinary  occupations.  Lest 
this  brief  account  should  unduly  prejudice  the  reader 
against  Collier,  it  may  here  be  added  that  Macaulay, 
who  certainly  never  erred  on  the  side  of  praise  where 
non-jurors  were  concerned,  acknowledges  that  "he  was 
in  the  full  force  of  the  words,  a  good  man."  ^  Collier 
is,  however,  principally  remembered  for  his  **Short  View 

1.  The  phrase  actually  used  is  "Regio  consensu  prius  impetrato." 

2.  A  full  account  of  the  whole  proceedings  is  to  be  found  in  Howell's 
*'  State  Trials,"  Vol.    xiii,  pp.   419  seq. 

3.  "  History  of  England,"  Chapter  14. 


INTRODUCTION 


II 


of  the  Immorality  and  Profaneness  of  the  English 
Stage."  March,  i6^).  It  was  probably  recollection 
of  this  work  which  caused  Dr.  Johnson  to  except  Collier 
from  his  general  sentence  of  condemnation,  ''Collier 
never  had  any  adversary,  and  I  do  not  therefore  reckon 
him." 

Nathaniel  Spinckes  (1653 — 1727),  of  Trinity  and  Jesus 
Colleges,  Cambridge,  Prebendary  of  Salisbury  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  was  the  life-long  friend  of 
Hickes,  and  a  rare  example  of  a  controversialist  who 
never  made  an  enemy  or  lost  his  own  reputation  for 
saintliness.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  the  controversy 
which  was  now  about  to  break  forth,  and  was  principal 
spokesman  for  those  who  were  named  '*Non-Usagers." 
He  dealt  Thomas  Deacon  one  or  two  shrewd  blows  in 
the  controversy,  which  Deacon  was  quite  capable  of 
returning.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  remark  that  Spinckes 
was  recommended  by  Robert  Nelson  to  Samuel  Pepys 
as  a  spiritual  adviser,  a  task  which  would  api>ear 
sufficiently  arduous.  It  was  however  Hickes  and  not 
Spinckes  who  attended  Pepys  on  his  death-bed.^ 

Of  Samuel  Hawes  little  need  be  said  except  that  he 
was  a  chaplain  of  the  Earl  of  Winchelsea,  a  well-known 
patron  of  the  non-jurors,  and  that  he  was  on  the  side  of 
the  Non-Usagers  in  the  controversy.  His  death  occurred 
in   1722. 

With  a  brief  account  of  the  next  consecration  and  of 
the  newly-appointed  Bishops,  this  introductory  chapter 
must  be  brought  to  a  close.  On  St.  Paul's  day,  I7J|, 
Dr.  Thomas  Brett  and  Mr.  Henry  Gandy  were 
consecrated  in  Mr.  Candy's  chapel  by  Collier,  Hawes, 
Spinckes,  Campbell,  and  Gadderar. 

Dr.  Thomas  Brett  (1667 — 1743),  of  Queens'  and  Corpus 
Colleges,  Cambridge,  and  of  Spring  Grove,  Wye,  in  the 
County  of  Kent,  came  of  a  good  family,  from  whom  he 
had  inherited  Whig  traditions.     He  was  able  to  take 

1.  Overton's  "  History  of  the  Non-jurors,"  p.  130. 


12  THOMAS   DEACON 

the  Abjuration  Oath^  and  even  in  1710  wrote  in 
opposition  to  the  standpoint  of  the  non-jurors.  From 
that  date  however  his  position  rapidly  changed,  and  at 
the  Accession  of  George  the  First,  he  declined  to  take 
the  oaths  afresh  and  was  deprived  of  his  preferments. 
On  July  ist,  1 7 15,  he  was  formally  received  into  the 
non-juring  communion  by  Bishop  Hickes.  Brett  had 
an  unrivalled  knowledge  of  primitive  liturgies,  and  was 
a  tower  of  strength  to  the  Usagers.^ 

There  is  however,  evidence  in  existence  (which  I  hope 
to  produce)  to  the  fact  that  in  later  years  Brett  once  more 
changed  his  position,  and  his  immediate  descendants 
conformed  to  the  English  Church. 

Henry  Gandy  (1649 — 1734),  of  Oriel  College,  Oxford, 
has  little  direct  connection  with  our  subject.  He  was  a 
strong  non-usager,  and  took  a  considerable  share  in  the 
controversy. 

The  only  apology  which  can  be  made  for  so  much 
introductory  matter  being  inflicted  on  the  reader  is,  that 
as  Thomas  Deacon  appears  on  the  scene  with  somewhat 
startling  suddenness,  it  may  be  considered  desirable  to 
submit  a  brief  description  of  the  men  amongst  whom  he 
worked,  and  with  whom  he  joined  in  controversy.  It  is 
now  however,  high  time  that  Thomas  Deacon  himself 
should  have  mention  in  these  pages,  and  what  can  be 
told  of  his  early  life  will  be  related  in  the  next  chapter. 

1.  For  a  succinct  statement  of  the  Abjuration  Oaths  of  17o2  and 
1714  see  Overton's  "  Non-jurors,"  pp.  2  and  3. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  James  II.  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed 
by  which  all  persons  holding  public  office  were  compelled  to  abjure  the 
Pretended  Prince  of  Wales,  and  on  the  Accession  of  George  I.  a  similar 
Act  was  passed  renewing  in  somewhat  more  stringent  terms  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  Abjuration.  The  Act  of  17o2  was  certainly  a  blunder;  it 
undoubtedly  prevented  the  reconciliation  to  the  Church  of  Bishop  Ken. 
It  is  possible  that  more  could  be  said  in  favour  of  the  Act  of  1714. 
The  distinction  sometimes  drawn  between  the  Non-Abjurors,  or  those 
who  refused  the  oaths  of  1725  and  1714,  and  the  original  Non-Jurors, 
who  refused  to  swear  allegiance  to  the  Government  of  William  and  Mary 
is  not  of  much  practical  interest. 

2.  A  full  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  the  terms  "Usager"  and 
'■  Non-Usager "  is  given  in  Chapter  3.  For  the  present  it  may  suffice 
to  say  that  the  "  Usagers  "  desired  to  revive  certain  primitive  practices 
in  connection  with  the  celebration  of  the  Eucharist ;  the  "  Non-Usagers  " 
protested  against  any  alteration  of  the  established  Liturgy. 


13 


CHAPTER    11. 

Thomas  Deacon's  Birth  and  Early  Life :  His  Ordination, 
and  Connection  with  the  '15. 

The  statement  in  the  article  on  Deacon  in  the  Dictionary 
of  National  Biography  that  Thomas  Deacon  was  born 
in  1697  ^^^  was  residing  in  London  in  17 15  contains, 
so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  all  the  information 
hitherto  available  as  to  Deacon's  birth  and  early  life. 
The  date  of  birth  is  apparently  calculated  from  the 
inscription  on  the  tombstone  at  St.  Ann's,  Manchester, 
in  which  Deacon  is  said  to  have  been  in  his  56th  year 
on  the  1 6th  of  February,  1753.  There  is  however  reason 
to  believe  that  Thomas  Deacon  was  born  on  the  2nd  of 
September,  1697,  ^t  Limehouse,  in  the  Parish  of  Stepney. 
The  evidence  for  this  statement  will  require  some 
examination.  It  consists  mainly  of  three  facts  which 
were  discovered  by  the  present  writer  in  the  order  given 
below. 

In  the  first  place  a  copy  of  the  Last  Will  and 
Testament  of  William  Deacon,  Mariner,  of  Ratcliffe,  in 
the  Parish  of  Stepney,  and  of  Stebunheath,^  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex,  is  to  be  found  in  the  Principal 
Probate  Registry  at  Somerset  House,  in  the  catalogue 
of  the  year  1706.  The  Will,  which  is  of  a  somewhat 
unusual  character,  bears  the  date  of  24th  July,  1688. 
During  the  testator's  lifetime  the  document  is  intended 
to  give  power  of  attorney  to  his  beloved  wife  Cecilia  to 
act  for  him  in  all  matters  as  if  he  were  personally  present. 
She  is  to  pay  all  debts  incurred  by  him  on  board  any 

1.  Stebunheath  is  apparently  the  old  name  for  the  entire  district 
now  known  to  us  as  Stepney.  A  map  which  hangs  in  the  vestry  of 
St.  Dunstan'Sj  Stepney,  gives  this  name  to  what  was  probably  an  open 
country  district. 


14 


THOMAS   DEACON 


ship,  and  to  receive  all  wages  due  to  him  for  his  services 
on  any  ship  or  ships.  When  it  shall  please  Almighty 
God  to  call  him  from  this  life,  William  Deacon's  mind 
and  intention  is  that  the  document  shall  be  regarded  as 
his  last  will  and  testament,  and  the  said  Cecilia  Deacon 
is  to  be  sole  executrix  and  legatee.  William  Deacon 
died  in  1706,  and  probate  was  granted  to  his  wife  Cecilia 
on  the  9th  of  August  of  the  same  year. 

In  the  second  place  valuable  information  is  to  be  found 
in  the  codicil  to  the  Last  Will  and  Testament  of  Bishop 
Hickes,  dated  i8th  July,  17 15,  a  printed  copy  of  which 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Library  of  Sion  College.  Among 
other  small  bequests.  Bishop  Hickes  leaves  £15  to  Mrs. 
Cecilia  Deacon  **to  buy  her  mourning,"  and  £so  i" 
money  to  Mr.  Thomas  Deacon  to  whom  also  were 
bequeathed  20  of  Hickes'  unbound  books  ^  and  money 
to  buy  a  mourning  ring.  Similar  bequests  for  "rings" 
were  made  to  Archibald  Campbell,  Jeremy  Collier, 
Hawes,  Gadderar,  and  Roger  Laurence.  Now  it  is 
evident  that  the  Thomas  Deacon  referred  to  by  Hickes 
is  no  other  than  the  subject  of  this  biography,  and  the 
recurrence  of  the  uncommon  name  of  Cecilia  in 
connection  with  Thomas  Deacon  render  it  exceedingly 
probable  that  Thomas  Deacon  was  the  son  of  William 
and  Cecilia  Deacon  of  Ratcliffe,  who  have  been  referred 
to  in  connection  with  William  Deacon's  will  at  Somerset 
House.  A  search  in  the  Stepney  Registers  yielded  very 
satisfactory  results.  In  the  Baptismal  Register,  under 
the  date  of  September  19th,  1697,  the  following  entry  is 
to  be  found. 

"  Thomas,  son  of  Captain  William  Deacon,  of 
Limehouse,    and    Cecilia    his    wife,     18    days    old."  ^ 


1.  It  may  be  noted  that  an  edition  of  Hickes'  "  Constitution  of  the 
Catholic  Church"  was  published  by  Thomas  Deacon  in  1719.  (See 
"Life  of   Hickes,"  Diet.    Nat.    Biog.) 

2.  The  Stepney  Registers  contain  the  names  of  very  many  sea  captains. 
Their  tombstones  in  the  churchyard  are  to  be  recognised  by  the  curious 
nautical  devices  engraved  at  the  head  of  the  stone. 


DEACON'S    EARLY    LIFE  15 

Reckoning  (as  was  usual)  both  the  days  of  birth  and 
baptism,  this  would  give  the  date  of  birth  as  2nd  of 
September,  1697.  The  evidence  for  the  identification  of 
this  child  with  the  future  non-juring  bishop  may  be 
considered  as  fairly  complete,  and  it  will  be  noted  that,  if 
the  statement  be  accepted,  it  confirms  the  date  inscribed 
on  Deacon's  tombstone,  and  all  speculation  as  to  Deacon 
being  in  reality  a  few  years  older  than  has  commonly 
been  supposed  must  now  definitely  be  laid  aside. 

Captain  William  Deacon  died  in  1706  but  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  buried  at  Stepney,  and  I  have  not 
been  able  to  trace  the  decease  of  Cecilia  Deacon.  It  is 
however,  certain,  that  she  married  a  second  time  and 
that  she  was  alive  in  1733.  I  was  first  led  to  this 
conclusion  from  the  fact  that  in  the  list  of  subscribers 
to  Deacon's  ''  Tillemont,"  referred  to  on  page  171,  is 
to  be  found  the  name  of  Mrs.  Cecilia  Collier,  but  the 
matter  is  put  beyond  all  doubt  by  John  Byrom's  entry 
in  his  Journal  for  January  3rd,  I7|;.^ 

"dined  at  Jo.  Clowes,  Dr.  Deacon's  mother  there:  we 
had  a  fillet  of  veal  but  not  a  fine  one,  it  being  red  which 
I  took  notice  of  because  I  thought  his  wife  was  a  better 
caterer  :  I  stayed  tea  till  6  o'clock  and  left  Mrs.  Collier 
there  :  she  said  that  Mr.  Law  was  a  great  beau,  would 
have  fine  linen,  was  very  sweet  upon  the  ladies  and  had 
made  one  believe  that  he  would  marry  her,  that  he  made 
his  great  change  in  the  year  1720,  that  he  wore  a  wig 
again,  and  divers  particulars  about  Mrs.  Hughes,  Mr. 
Collier,  Dr.  Kennion."  It  is  evident  that,  whatever 
other  qualities  Mrs.  Cecilia  Collier  possessed,  she 
certainly  was  an  incorrigible  gossip ;  her  representation 
of  William  Law  as  a  '*  great  beau"  is,  to  say  the  least, 
novel  and  startling.  There  does  not  appear  to  be  any 
information  as  to  the  identity  of  the  **Mr.  Collier"  whom 
Cecilia  Deacon  took  for  her  second  husband,  and  any 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  444. 


X6  THOMAS   DEACON 

discovery  which  may  be  made  on  this  point  would 
conceivably  be  of  considerable  value  and  interest.  If  it 
were  possible  to  assume  that  the  Deacons  were  by  means 
of  this  second  marriage  brought  into  family  connection 
with  Jeremy  Collier,  it  would  go  far  to  explain  the  rapid 
advance  of  Thomas  Deacon  in  the  counsels  of  the  non- 
jurors. Considerable  research  on  this  subject  has  how- 
ever yielded  no  result,  and  the  suggestion  can  only  be 
regarded  as  an  attractive  conjecture.^ 

Nothing  is  known  of  Deacon's  education  unless  we 
may  conjecture,  from  the  bequests  made  by  Bishop 
Hickes  to  Cecilia  Deacon  and  her  son,  that  Hickes  had 
taken  a  paternal  interest  in  young  Deacon's  development. 
Cecilia  Deacon  was  left  a  widow  in  1706  at  which  time 
her  son  Thomas  was  but  nine  years  old.  It  is  certain 
that  Deacon  had  no  degree,  and  in  the  curious  dialogue 
between  * 'Timothy,  a  Churchman,  and  Thomas,  an 
Essentialist,"  (see  page  35),  it  is  assumed  that  he  had 
not  received  any  university  training.  Thomas  is  made 
to  say,  "I  have  been  in  Oxford  and  that's  enough.'* 
Writing  in  later  life  to  John  Byrom,  February  20th, 
I7!9^2  Deacon  distinctly  states  that  he  "never  was 
in  Cambridge."  Wherever  or  by  whomsoever  Deacon 
was  educated  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  training  which 
he  received  was  thorough  and  complete.  He  was,  in 
early  manhood,  a  complete  master  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  tongues,  and  of  the  modern  French  language,  and 
had  also  acquired  a  facility  in  his  native  tongue  which  is 
characteristic    of    his    writings    throughout    life.       An 

1.  A  certain  J.  Deacon  appears  to  have  been  the  author  of  a  pamphlet 
entitled  "  The  Fathers  Vindicated :  or  Animadversions  on  a  late  Socinian 
book  entitul'd  '  The  Judgement  of  the  Fathers  touching  the  Trinity 
against  Dr.  Bull's  Defence  of  the  Nicene  Faith,'  by  a  Presbyter  of  the 
Church  of  England,"  London,  1697.  On  the  title-page  of  the  copy  in 
the  British  Museum  there  is  a  MS.  note  after  the  word  "Presbyter," 
"  By  J.  Deacon,  Non- juror.'  I  have  not  been  able  to  identify  this  man, 
but  there  would  appear  prima  facie  evidence  for  connecting  him  with 
the  family  of  the  subject  of  this  Biography. 

2.  Byrom's  "  Eemains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  428. 


DEACON'S    EARLY    LIFE  17 

interesting  side  note  in  Byrom's  Journal  indicates  that 
Deacon  also  possessed  some  knowledge  of  Hebrew.^ 

We  know  nothing  of  the  first  connection  of  the 
Deacons  with  the  non-juring  party,  although  it  may  be 
conjectured  that  Thomas  Deacon  was  brought  up  by 
his  mother  in  the  belief  of  the  unlawfulness  of  the 
Revolution  Government.  The  codicil  of  Bishop  Hickes' 
Will  is  dated  nearly  two  years  later  than  the  Will  itself, 
in  which  the  Deacons  are  not  named ;  it  is  evident  that 
during  the  two  intervening  years  Deacon's  connection 
with  the  non-juring  leaders  must  have  become  of  a  more 
intimate  nature.  The  first  definite  information  however, 
which  we  possess,  is  found  in  the  record  of  his 
ordination  .2 

*'  Mr.  Thomas  Deacon  was  ordained  deacon  in  Mr. 
Gaudy's  Chapel,  in  Scrope  Court,  against  St.  Andrew's, 
Holbourn,  on  March  12th,  1755,  by  Mr.  Collier  in 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Gandy,  Mr.  Peck,  Mr.  Laurence, 
and  Mr.  Wignell :  Preist  (sic)  March  19th  by  the  same 
Bishop   in  the  same  place." 

It  will  be  noted  that  Deacon  was  not  more  than  i8| 
years  old  at  this  date,  and  it  is  impossible  to  excuse 
Collier  from  flagrant  violation  of  the  ancient  Canons. 
It  may  of  course  be  argued  on  the  other  side,  and  with 
perfect  truth,  that  Deacon's  mental  development  was  far 
beyond  his  years,  but  it  is  strange  indeed  that  those  who 
professed  reverence  for  primitive  antiquity  should  so 
hastily  ordain  a  youth  of  18  both  to  diaconate  and 
priesthood.^ 

Thomas  Deacon,  now  to  be  reckoned  among  the  non- 
juring  clergy,  made  his  first  appearance  before  the  public 

1.  Byrom's  Remains,  Vol.  2,  p.  305  :  the  reference  is  to  a  Hebrew  MS. 
of  the  Bible  which  Deacon  and  Byrom  were  to  study  together. 

2.  "  Notes  and  Queries,"  Series  III,  Vol.  iii,  p.  243,  quoting  from 
Rawlinson   MSS. 

3.  The  custom  of  the  first  four  centuries  with  regard  to  the  age  of 
ordination  varies  somewhat,  but  the  limit  fixed  in  the  Anglican  Ordinal 
leans,  on  the  whole,  to  an  earlier  age  than  was  common  in  the  first 
centuries.  It  would  task  the  ingenuity  of  Thomas  Deacon  himself  to 
find  any  sanction  for  the  ordination  of  a  Presbyter  at  the  age  of  18. 


x8 


THOMAS  DEACON 


in  connection  with  the  execution  of  two  of  the  rebels  of 
the  '15,  the  Rev.  William  Paul,  of  Ashby,  near 
Lutterworth,  and  John  Hall,  Esq.,  of  Otterbourne,  in  the 
County  of  Northumberland,  and  Justice  of  Peace  for 
that  County.  Much  interesting  information  concerning 
these  two  men  may  be  gathered  from  Robert  Patten's 
**  History  of  the  Late  Rebellion"  (of  1715).  Patten 
may  be  said  to  have  written  an  account  of  the  Rebellion 
from  the  point  of  view  of  both  sides.  He  was  Chaplain 
to  General  Foster  and  was  made  prisoner  at  Preston, 
13th  November,  17 15,  and  was  carried  to  London.  He 
there  made  an  offer  of  King's  evidence  which  was 
accepted,  and  his  leisure  was  employed  in  producing  a 
most  racy  account  of  the  whole  movement.  William 
Paul,  born  in  1678,  at  Little  Ashby,  took  the  oaths  on 
his  institution  to  the  Vicarage  of  Orton,  Leicestershire, 
on  5th  May,  1709,  but  joined  the  Rebellion  of  '15, 
"  being  born  for  his  destiny,"  as  Patten  says,  and  read 
prayers  for  James  HL  at  Lancaster.  He  was  allowed  to 
go  free  and  proceeded  to  London,  where  he  was  recognised 
in  St.  James'  Park  by  a  Justice  of  his  native  County, 
was  arrested,  tried,  and  condemned  to  death.  His 
behaviour  between  sentence  and  execution  was  abject  in 
the  extreme.  His  fellow  sufferer,  '*  mad  Jack  Hall  of 
Otterbourne,"  was  of  sterner  stuff.  He  had  a  fierce  and 
passionate  temper  and  had  a  reputation  all  over  his 
native  County  for  violence  and  eccentricity.  Concerning 
his  end,  Patten  says,  "he  denied  his  faith  and  made  a 
strange  exit."  The  execution  of  these  unfortunate  men 
took  place  on  13th  July  17 16,  at  which  time  were 
delivered  to  the  Sheriffs  the  famous  dying  speeches 
which  were  entirely  incongruous  to  the  characters  of  the 
men  as  I  have  briefly  described  them.  There  is  much 
that  is  uncertain  in  connection  with  the  scenes  which 
took  place  at  the  execution,  but  there  is  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  the  speeches  were  composed  by  Thomas 
Deacon.     On  September  ist,  1725,  John  Byrom  records 


DEACON'S    EARLY    LIFE  19 

the  fact^  that  "Dr.  Deacon  told  me  about  making  Hall 
and  Paul's  speeches."  It  is  also  tolerably  certain  that 
Deacon's  connection  with  the  affair  was  not  confined  to 
the  composition  of  the  speeches.  Our  information  on 
this  subject  is  practically  limited  to  the  charges  brought 
30  years  later  against  Deacon  by  Josiah  Owen  of  Roch- 
dale, and  to  Deacon's  vindications  of  himself  against 
these  charges.  The  reader  is  referred  to  Appendix  B, 
pages  198  and  199,  for  the  full  details. 

Owen  declares  that  Deacon  travelled  in  the  sledge 
from  Newgate  to  Tyburn  with  the  prisoners  and  was 
hooted  by  the  crowd  :  that  as  they  passed  along  Holborn 
Dr.  Sacheverell  stood  by  and  greeted  Deacon  with  a 
*' reverend  bow  and  most  respectful  salutation."  Owen 
further  states  that  Deacon  stepped  from  the  sledge  into 
the  cart  at  Tyburn,  and  at  the  request  of  the  prisoners 
prayed  with  them  for  some  time,  absolved  them, 
"declared  that  what  they  did  was  meritorious"  and  then 
made  off:  that  Mr.  Lorrain  the  "ordinary"  of  Newgate 
prayed  with  the  prisoners  at  the  last  moment,  although 
his  ministrations  were  apparently  not  acceptable  to  them. 

Deacon's  own  account  is  very  different.  He  denies 
absolutely  that  he  officiated  with  the  unfortunate  men 
in  their  last  moments,  and  asserts  that  the  person  who 
did  so  was  the  Reverend  Francis  Peck,  M.A.,  formerly 
of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  but  that  "neither  he 
nor  anyone  else  did  there  and  then  absolve  them."  As 
to  the  charge  of  declaring  that  what  they  did  was 
meritorious,  Deacon  declares  that  he  said  no  such  thing 
either  publicly  or  privately. 

It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  Owen's  account  is 
not  by  any  means  free  from  exaggeration;  "This 
account,"  he  says,  "I  have  received."  Deacon  does 
not  deny  that  he  ministered  to  the  prisoners  in  private, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  practically  leaves  the  reader  to 
infer  that  he  had  communication  with  the  prisoners  at 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  178. 


ao 


THOMAS  DEACON 


least  when  they  were  in  gaol.  The  real  difficulty  lies  in 
the  mention  of  the  Reverend  Francis  Peck,  who  was 
afterwards  a  famous  antiquary.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine 
that  Deacon  could  have  had  the  slightest  reason  for 
inventing  this  story^  but  on  the  other  hand  Peck  is  not 
generally  regarded  as  having  had  much  connection  with 
the  non-jurors,  although  his  name  is  certainly  to  be 
found  in  the  complete  list  supplied  by  Canon  Overton. 
I  may,  however,  make  a  suggestion  which  would  solve 
the  difficulty.  Is  it  possible  to  identify  the  Mr.  Peck 
who  was  witness  of  Deacon's  ordination  (see  page  17) 
with  the  Reverend  Francis  Peck,  M.A.,  of  Trinity 
College?  If  this  suggestion  be  adopted,  Mr.  Peck 
might  well  be  the  non-juring  parson  referred  to  by 
Owen,  who  erroneously  supposed  that  it  was  Deacon. 

The  speeches  themselves  are  of  some  interest.  Paul's 
speech  is  uncompromisingly  Jacobite  in  its  tone.  James 
III.  is  King  and  the  Elector  of  Brunswick  is  the  Pre- 
tender. '*  I  would  not  have  you  think  that  I  am  a 
member  of  that  schismatical  church  whose  Bishops  set 
themselves  up  in  opposition  to  those  orthodox  fathers 
who  were  unlawfully  and  invalidly  deprived  by  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  I  declare  that  I  renounce  that 
Communion,  and  that  I  die  a  dutiful  and  faithful  member 
of  that  non-juring  Church  which  has  kept  itself  free 
from  rebellion  and  schism,  and  has  preserved  and 
maintained  the  true  orthodox  principle  both  as  to  Church 
and  State.  I  desire  the  Clergy  and  all  members  of  the 
Revolution  Church  to  consider  what  bottom  they  stand 
upon,  when  their  succession  is  grounded  upon  an 
unlawful  and  invalid  deprivation  of  Catholic  Bishops, 
the  only  foundation  of  which  is  a  pretended  Act  of 
Parliament." 

The  speech  of  John  Hall,  although  of  similar  tenour, 
is  an  entirely  separate  production.  "The  Communion 
I  die  in  is  that  of  the  true  Catholic  non-juring  Church  of 
EnGfland  and  I  pray  God  to  prosper  and  increase  it." 


DEACON'S    EARLY    LIFE 


2Z 


It  is,  of  course,  obvious  that  the  main  purport  of  the 
speeches  was  to  advertise  the  fact  that  the  non-juring 
party  had  become  a  distinct  communion  which  claimed 
the  right  to  declare  that  the  Church  of  England  was  in 
reality  a  schismatical  church.  It  is  important  to  remem- 
ber that  this  is  the  earliest  manifestation  of  Deacon's 
attitude  to  the  English  Church.  From  this  he  never 
swerved  to  the  least  degree,  his  many  friendships  with 
the  clergy  notwithstanding. 

The  next  incident  of  Deacon's  life  of  which  we  have 
any  record  is  a  journey  to  Holland,  which  he  made 
shortly  after  the  events  which  have  just  been  related. 
Here  again  we  have  two  entirely  differing  accounts. 
Owen  says  that,  as  a  result  of  Deacon's  conduct  at  the 
executions,  warrants  were  issued  out  against  him  and 
that  he  was  sent  at  the  expense  of  the  non-juring  party 
to  Holland,  in  which  country  he  studied  medicine. 
Deacon,  on  the  other  hand,  admits  that  the  visit  to 
Holland  took  place,  but  denies  that  any  warrants  were 
issued  against  him.  He  went  about  London  for  three 
months  after  these  events  and  stayed  in  Holland  at  his 
own  cost.  As  to  his  medical  studies  these  were  not  even 
thought  of  at  the  time,  but  were  entered  upon  on  his 
return  to  England  on  the  advice,  and  by  the  assistance, 
of  Dr.  Richard  Mead.  There  may  perhaps  be  some 
doubt  as  to  the  question  of  the  warrants,  but  in  other 
respects  Deacon's  own  version  of  events  may  be  accepted 
as  correct.  If  we  date  Deacon's  departure  for  Holland 
in  the  late  autumn  of  1716,  it  may  be  conjectured  that  his 
stay  there  would  not  extend  over  many  months,  and  that 
he  would  be  back  in  London  in  the  early  part  of  1717. 
There  is  no  record  of  his  name  in  the  register  of  medical 
students  at  the  University  of  Ley  den,  and  I  take  it  that 
his  training  as  a  physician  began  on  his  return  to  London 
in  1717. 

Dr.  Richard  Mead  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
physicians  of  the  earlier  part  of  the  i8th  century.     There 


22 


THOMAS   DEACON 


is  a  fascinating  account  of  him  given  in  the  "Roll  of  the 
College  of  Physicians  of  London,"  written  by  Wm. 
Munk,  M.D.,  F.S.A.,  and  published  in  1878.  Richard 
Mead  was  born  at  Stepney  in  1673,  studied  at  Utrecht 
and  Ley  den,  and  received  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of 
Philosophy  at  Padua  in  1695.  On  his  return  to  Eng- 
land he  settled  for  some  time  in  Stepney,  where  he  had 
considerable  influence,  as  had  also  his  father  Matthew 
Mead,  who  was  a  minister  of  the  famous  Stepney 
Meeting. 1  A  portrait  of  Matthew  Mead,  "Minister  of 
the  Gospel,"  hangs  in  the  vestry  of  St.  Dunstan's 
Church,  Stepney,  of  which  church  Mead  was  "Morning 
Lecturer"  in  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth.  In  17 14 
Dr.  Mead  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  Dr.  Radcliffe  and 
removed  to  the  house  of  his  predecessor  in  Bloomsbury 
Square,  in  17 16  he  became  Fellow  of  the  College  of 
Physicians,  and  on  the  accession  of  George  IL  was 
appointed  Physician  in  Ordinary  to  that  monarch,  a 
position  which  he  held  to  his  death.  He  was  a  great 
collector  and  possessed  among  other  treasures  a  large 
number  of  Oriental,  Greek  and  Latin  MSS.  What  was 
the  origin  of  the  connection  between  Mead,  the  Dissenter 
and  Whig,  and  Deacon,  the  pronounced  High  Church- 
man and  Jacobite,  it  is  not  very  easy  to  conjecture, 
unless  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  both  were  natives 
of  Stepney.  However  this  may  be,  it  was  certainly  a 
piece  of  good  fortune  for  Deacon  to  be  brought  under 
the  influence  of  such  a  distinguished  ornament  of  the 
medical  profession  as  Richard  Mead.  One  can  imagine 
that  the  MSS.  referred  to  would  prove  an  irresistible 
attraction  to  Deacon,  and  all  that  is  recorded  of  Mead 

1.  The  Stepney  "  Meeting "  or  Congregational  Church  was  founded 
in  1644,  the  first  pastor  being  William  Greenhill,  who  held  the  Vicarage 
of  Stepney  for  about  seven  years  during  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth, 
retaining  at  the  same  time  his  pastorate  of  the  "Meeting."  During  this 
period  Matthew  Mead  (who  had  been  admitted  a  member  of  the 
"  Meeting "  on  28th  December,  1656)  held  under  Greenhill  the  position 
of  Morning  Lecturer  at  the  Parish  Church.  Greenhill  and  Mead  were 
of  course  ejected  in  1662,  and  Mead  succeeded  Greenhill  as  pastor  of  the 
"Meeting"  in  1671. 


DEACON'S    EARLY    LIFE 


23 


goes  to  show  that  he  did  not  value  his  treasures  for 
himself  alone.  The  motto  which  he  chose  *'Non  sihi, 
sed  toti,"  is  said  to  have  been  characteristic  of  his  whole 
life.  There  must  also  have  been  something  hopeful  and 
attractive  in  Deacon  as  he  appeared  to  Dr.  Mead,  and 
we  shall  find  that  Deacon's  medical  career  did  not 
disgrace  his  illustrious  patron.  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  ^ 
refers  to  two  letters  written  by  Deacon  and  addressed  to 
Dr.  Mead  on  the  subject  of  "Fluor  Albus  and  Cancer," 
published  in  the  loth  volume  of  the  Medical  and  Physical 
Journal.  With  this  exception  nothing  is  recorded  of 
Deacon's  subsequent  relations  with  his  old  teacher. 

We  must  now  return  to  the  realm  of  theology,  and 
shall  in  the  next  chapter  enter  upon  a  study  of  the 
controversy  concerning  the  "  Usages." 


1.  "  Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  89. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Deacon  and  the  "  Usages  "  Controversy :  the  New 
Communion  Office  of  1718. 

The  subject,  on  the  consideration  of  which  we  now  enter, 
may  be  described  as  technical,  theological,  and  contro- 
versial. The  number  of  people  who  have  any  knowledge 
of  the  somewhat  bitter  controversy  which  ensued  between 
the  various  sections  of  the  small  and  dwindling  number 
of  non-jurors,  is  not,  I  suppose,  very  large,  and  in  all 
probability  the  number  of  those  who  feel  any  interest  in 
the  matter  is  still  smaller.  Nevertheless  the  subject  is 
not  without  interest  to  those  who  have  some  acquaint- 
ance, however  superficial,  with  the  history  and  structure 
of  Christian  liturgies,  and  quite  apart  from  this  con- 
sideration, a  life  of  Deacon  cannot  be  fully  represented 
which  does  not  deal  in  some  measure  of  completeness 
with  his  personal  standpoint  in  the  controversy  in  which 
he  bore  a  prominent  part. 

I  desire,  as  far  as  possible,  not  merely  to  repeat  what 
has  been  many  times  written  on  this  subject  (although  a 
certain  amount  of  repetition  cannot  be  avoided),  but  to 
quote  as  largely  as  possible  from  Deacon's  own  writings, 
and  with  this  aim  in  view  I  shall  make  considerable  use, 
not  only  here,  but  in  later  portions  of  this  memoir,  of 
an  interesting  collection  of  MSS.  which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Chetham  Library  in  Manchester.  I  shall  do  this 
the  more  freely  as  it  does  not  appear  that  much  use  has 
hitherto  been  made  of  this  document.  For  a  description 
of  these  MSS.  I  may  quote  from  the  ** Palatine  Note- 
book," vol.  2,  p.  116,  June  1882,  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  Editor  by  Mr.  Thomas  Kerslake  of  Bristol.  **  I 
have  lately  put  my  hand  upon  a  little  manuscript  volume 


26 


THOMAS    DEACON 


which  I  had  mislaid  for  some  years  past It 

is  a  duodecimo  volume  of  about  an  inch  and  a  half  thick, 
four  inches  wide,  and  a  half  high,  in  old  brown  rough 
calf  with  panel  tooled  sides.  On  one  of  the  end  leaves 
is  this  writing  :  — 

*  Charles  Clement  Deacon 
His  Book 

New  Goal  (sic)  Southwork  Friday  October  17th,  1746. 
The  contents  of  this  volume  are — 

f.  Copies  of  three  letters  of  Dr.  Thomas  Brett,  one  to 
Mr.  Jebb,  two  to  *  Dr.  Deacon  at  Manchester.' 

2.  Extracts  from  Lombardi  Sententice  and  various 
Fathers. 

3.  The  form  of  admitting  a  Convert. 

4.  A  Litany  for  the  use  of  those  who  mourn  for  the 
iniquities  of  the  present  times,  etc. 

5.  Prayers  to  be  said  on  the  death  of  a  member  of  the 
Church,  etc. 

6.  Two  discourses  both  written  by  Thomas  Deacon. 

7.  Quotations  from  Bishop  Gibson's  'Codex,'  " 

Commenting  on  the  above  Mr.  Kerslake  says  that 
Numbers  2  and  7  are  in  good  scholar-like  handwriting, 
most  likely  of  Dr.  Deacon  himself.  Numbers  3,  4, 
5,  6  probably  the  same  handwriting  later  in  life.  I  may 
point  out  that  the  handwriting  of  these  four  numbers  is 
without  doubt  identical  with  Deacon's  writing  on  the 
frontispiece  of  the  edition  of  the  *'Compleat  Devotions" 
referred  to  on  page  177  :  Number  i  copied  by  a  less 
cultivated  hand. 

In  the  same  volume  of  the  ''Note  book  "  (page  140) 
an  editorial  note  states  "that  on  his  return  to  Bristol  Mr. 
Thomas  Kerslake  intends  to  present  this  Jacobite  relic 
to  the  Feoffees  of  Chetham's  Hospital  for  preservation 
in  their  Library."  A  letter  affixed  to  the  volume  itself 
records  the  actual  gift. 


THE   "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


27 


From  Thomas  Kerslake,^  Bristol,  to  Mr.  J.  Crossley, 
July  22nd,   1882. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

Having  learned  from  Mr.  J.  E.  Bailey  that  a  MS. 
of  the  Deacons,  non-jurors,  would  be  acceptable  to 
the  Feoffees  of  Chetham's  Hospital  for  their  Library, 
I  have  sent  it  you  by  this  post  in  the  hope  that  you  will 
be  so  kind  as  to  take  charge  of  it  for  them." 

Notice  of  the  ill-fated  owner  of  the  book  and  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  contents  must  be  deferred  till  we  come 
to  a  later  period,  but,  as  I  intend  to  quote  in  the  present 
chapter  from  one  of  the  discourses  contained  in  this 
volume,  I  thought  it  desirable  to  insert  in  this  place  the 
foregoing  brief  account  of  what  is  an  extremely  valuable 
although  small  collection  of  MSS. 

The  '  Usages  '  controversy  really  turned  upon  the 
point  as  to  whether  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  was  to 
be  used  by  the  non-jurors  without  any  alteration,  or 
whether  the  non-jurors,  free  as  they  were  within  the 
limits  of  their  little  communion  from  any  State  control, 
should  use  this  liberty  in  the  direction  of  enriching  or 
improving  the  liturgy  authorised  at  the  final  settlement 
of  1662. 

It  is,  however,  necessary  for  the  proper  understanding 
of  the  controversy  that  the  reader  should  have  a  clear 
conception  of  the  differences  between  the  first  liturgy  of 
Edward  VI.  (which  I  shall  describe  briefly  as  'i  Edw. 
VI.')  and  the  present  liturgy,  and  it  may  be  convenient 
that  a  brief  statement  on  this  subject  should  be  inserted 
in  this  place. 

The  main  difference  between  i  Edw.  VI.  and  the 
present  liturgy  is  to  be  found  in  the  arrangement  of  the 

1.  Thomas  Kerslake  (1812 — 1891)  was  a  native  of  Exeter,  and  about 
1830  commenced  business  in  Bristol  as  a  second-hand  bookseller  in 
partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Samuel  Cornish,  who  was  of  the 
same  family  as  the  founder  of  a  well-known  firm  of  booksellers  of  the 
same  name  in  Manchester.     (See  article  in  Diet.  Nat.  Biog.) 


THOMAS   DEACON 


Prayer  of  Consecration,  or  to  speak  more  accurately,  of 
the  different  forms  of  prayer  by  means  of  which  the 
central  act  of  consecration  is  effected.  In  the  present 
oflfice  after  the  Offertory  there  follows  the  Prayer  for  the 
Church  Militant,  and  between  this  Prayer  and  the 
Sursum  Corda,  Preface  and  Sanctus,  are  inserted  the 
Confession  and  Absolution  and  Comfortable  Words. 
After  the  Sanctus  and  before  the  Consecration  proper 
the  Prayer  of  Humble  Access  is  placed,  and  the  Conse- 
cration Prayer,  strictly  so-called,  is  little  more  than  a 
recital  of  the  Institution.  It  may  be  said  that  the  present 
liturgy  is  in  reality  a  dislocation  of  i  Edw.  VI.  In  that 
office  the  Sursum  Corda  Preface  and  Sanctus  are  placed 
immediately  after  the  Offertory,  and  then  begins  a  long 
prayer  composed  of  the  following  parts : — (i)  The 
prayer  for  the  whole  Church,  in  which  was  a  jjetition  for 
the  faithful  departed.  (2)  An  Invocation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  the  elements.  (3)  The  Recital  of  the  Insti- 
tution. (4)  A  short  form  of  Oblation.  (5)  The  Prayer 
now  used  as  a  Post-Communion,  *'OLordand  Heavenly 
Father,  etc.,*'  concluding  with  the  Lord's  Prayer.  There 
followed  the  Confession  and  Absolution  and  Comfort- 
able Words  as  a  preparation  for  the  Communion  of 
priest  and  people. 

The  dispute  as  to  the  'Usages'  and  the  subsequent 
issue  of  the  new  communion  office  cannot  be  perfectly 
apprehended  unless  the  differences  between  the  liturgies 
of  1549  and  1662  are  clearly  understood. 

Turning  now  to  the  question  immediately  under 
consideration  we  must  resist  all  temptation  to  commence 
the  study  of  this  matter  from  an  earlier  date  than  that  of 
the  death  of  Bishop  Hickes,  to  which  time  indeed  the 
outbreak  of  the  controversy  may  be  assigned.  Bishop 
Hickes  undoubtedly  expressed  his  preference  for  the 
liturgy  contained  in  the  first  Prayer  Book  of  Edward 
Vlth  and  had  used  it  in  his  oratory  in  Scroop's  Court. ^ 

1.  Archibald  Campbell's  "Middle  State,"  p.  79. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  29 

Hickes'  death  took  place  in  December  17 15,  and  in  July 
1 7 16  the  actual  controversy  began.  The  matters  in  dis- 
pute are  described  very  fully  for  us  by  Thomas  Deacon 
himself  in  his  Preface  to  his  work  on  "  Purgatory," 
which  was  published  in  17 18  and  is  noticed  in  its  place  in 
Appendix  A. 

*'  The  World  had  not  in  all  probability  been  troubled 
with  these  papers  on  'Purgatory'  but  upon  account  of  a 
new  controversy  concerning  the  restoring  of  some 
primitive  practices  in  relation  to  no  less  a  subject  than 
that  of  the  proper  Christian  worship,  I  mean,  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Eucharist.  The  things  which  are 
pleaded  for  as  necessary  to  be  restored  are — 

1 .  The  mixture  of  the  Wine  and  Water  in  the  sacrifi- 
cial cup. 

2.  The  oblation  of  the  Eucharistic  elements  as  the 
representative  sacrifice  of  Christ's  Body  and  Blood. 

3.  The  blessing  of  them  or  the  Invocation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  them. 

4.  The  recommending  of  the  faithful  departed  to  God's 
mercy  at  the  Celebration  of  the  Christian  Sacrifice." 

It  may  be  well  to  indicate  briefly  how  these  four 
practices  are  all  provided  for  in  i  Edw.  VI. 

1.  From  the  rubric  after  the  offertory  "And  putting 
the  wine  into  the  chalice — putting  thereto  a  little  pure 
and  clean  water,  etc." 

2.  After  the  Words  of  Institution — "  Wherefore,  O 
Lord  and  Heavenly  Father  according  to  the  institution 
of  Thy  Dearly  Beloved  Son,  Our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
we  Thy  humble  servants  do  celebrate  and  make  here 
before  Thy  Divine  Majesty  with  these  Thy  Holy  Gifts 
the  memorial  which  Thy  Son  hath  willed  us  to  make." 

3.  Before  the  Words  of  Institution— ''With  Thy 
Holy  Spirit  and  Word  vouchsafe  to  bless  and  sanctify 
these  Thy  Gifts  and  creatures  of  bread  and  wine  that 


30 


THOMAS   DEACON 


they  may  be  unto  us  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Thy  Most 
Dearly  Beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ." 

4.  Before  the  Consecration  proper — "  We  commend 
unto  Thy  mercy  all  other  Thy  servants  which  are 
departed  hence  from  us  with  the  sign  of  Faith  and  now 
do  rest  in  the  sleep  of  peace.  Grant  unto  them  we 
beseech  Thee,  Thy  mercy  and  everlasting  peace." 


I  now  quote  from  a  discourse  copied  in  the  MS.  lately 
described,  which  is  said  to  have  been  delivered  by 
^,  Thomas  Deacon  on  Palm  Sunday,  April  6th  17 18.  It 
is  an  interesting  conjecture  as  to  where  this  sermon  was 
preached.  The  well-known  statement  that  "Thomas 
Deacon  was  before  17 19  Minister  of  a  Non-juring 
congregation  in  Aldersgate  Street,"  ^  might  lead  one  to 
suppMDse  that  it  was  delivered  in  Trinity  Chapel  in  that 
street.  This  Chapel  was  one  of  the  most  important  of 
the  non-juring  places  of  worship  in  London.  It  is 
described  by  Rawlinson  as  *'Mr.  Orme's  Chapel"  after 
an  incumbent  of  that  name.  "171 7  June  i8th  Mr.  John 
Lindsay  was  ordained  Preist  in  Mr.  Orme's  Chapel, 
commonly  called  Trinity  Chapel  in  the  Parish  of  St. 
Botolph  Without,  Aldersgate  Street."  Lindsay  after- 
wards held  the  position  of  Minister  of  this  Chapel  until 
his  death  in  1768,  and  as  Robert  Orme  was  apparently 
in  charge  of  the  Chapel  in  17 17  it  is  probable  that 
Deacon  would  stand  to  him  somewhat  in  the  relation  of 
an  assistant  Curate.  But  wherever  the  sermon  was 
delivered,  we  are  fortunate  in  possessing  a  copy  of  it, 
and  I  quote  from  it  a  passage  which  purports  to  give  a 
full  account  of  the  negotiations  which  were  conducted 
between  the  various  sections  of  the  non-juring  bishops 
and  clergy. 

**It  is  almost  two  years  since  these  matters  were  first 
debated  among  us  :  and  though  we  always  wished  for 
several  other  things  to  be  restored  to  the  Church,  yet  we 

1.    "  Gentleman's  Magazine,"  1746,  p.  399 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  31 

never  insisted  on  more  than  these  four  necessary  points. 
Our  Bishops  sent  proposals  to  our  adversaries  which 
were  either  not  regarded  or  refused." 

It  may  here  be  noted  that  the  tone  of  Deacon's  remarks 
impHes  that  in  his  judgment  a  complete  separation  had 
already  been  made,  which  was  indeed  the  case. 

*'At  last  when  the  controversy  was  printed  on  both 
sides  and  the  people  were  uneasy  for  a  determination  of 
the  Church,  our  bishops  gave  in  their  last  proposition 
with  this  declaration,  that  if  they  were  agreed  to,  nothing 
more  should  be  done,  no  more  alterations  should  be 
made  :  but,  if  they  were  rejected,  a  schism  would  inevit- 
ably ensue,  and  then  it  might  be  thought  proper  to 
restore  some  other  primitive  usages.  And  that  you  may 
see  how  low  our  bishops  condescended,  I  shall  recite  the 
last  proposals,  word  for  word,  as  they  were  sent  to  the 
opposing  bishops." 

It  may  be  well  to  indicate  here  the  bishops  on  either 
side  of  the  controversy.  On  the  side  of  the  "Usagers" 
were  Collier,  Brett,  Gadderar  and  above  all,  Campbell : 
on  the  side  of  those  who  desired  that  no  change  should 
be  made  were  Hawes,  Spinckes  and  Gandy.  These  are 
the  "three  opposite  bishops"  referred  to  by  Deacon  in 
the  sermon  from  which  we  now  again  quote. 

**  Proposals  for  preventing  a  separation — 

1.  That  Water  be  constantly  mixed  with  the  Wine. 

2.  That  the  words  ^Militant  here  on  earth'  be  always 
omitted. 

3.  That  in  the  prayer  of  Consecration  the  petition  be 
always  'Hear  us  O  Merciful  Father  we  most  humbly 
beseech  Thee  :  Bless  these  Thy  creatures  of  Bread  and 
Wine  and  grant  that,   etc' 

4.  That  the  prayer  of  oblation^  as  it  is  worded  in  the 
present  liturgy  be  always  used  immediately  after  the 
words  of  Institution  before  communicating." 

1.  i.e.,  The  post- communion  prayer,  "0  Lord  and  Heavenly  Father, 
we  Thy  humble  servants,"  etc. 


32  THOMAS  DEACON 

We  may  once  more  break  off  at  this  point  to  indicate 
that  another  account  of  these  negotiations  is  extant, 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  opposite  party.  It  has 
been  variously  attributed  to  Blackburne,  Hawes  and 
Gandy  and  is  freely  quoted  by  Overton.^  I  shall  content 
myself  by  pointing  out  that  while  in  some  measure  it 
bears  out  Deacon's  statement,  a  very  different  interpre- 
tation is  given  of  the  last  meeting  at  which  reconciliation 
was  attempted.  The  *non-usagers'  story  is,  briefly,  that 
negotiations  began  in  July,  1716,  that  the  'restorers'  or 
'usagers'  were  always  in  a  minority,  and  that  on 
December  19th,  1717,  the  'restorers'  assembled  "where 
they  were  secure  of  having  no  opposition"  and  from 
that  date  resolved  to  communicate  no  longer  with  their 
opponents. 

Let  us  now  proceed  with  Deacon's  account :  — 

"Farther,  notwithstanding  our  persuasion  that  none 
of  these  primitive  usages  can  be  dispensed  with,  yet  we 
do  not  insist  on  their  being  received  by  our  brethren 
as  necessary  things  :  provided  they  officiate  by  them  they 
may,  if  they  please,  declare  their  practice  means  no  more 
than  temporary  concessions  and  expedients  for  union." 

Deacon  proceeds  to  point  out  how  great  in  his  view 
was  the  moderation  of  the  bishops  on  his  side  of  the 
dispute. 

"They  insisted  on  no  more  alterations  than  that  four 
words  should  be  omitted,  a  single  word  added,  and  one 
prayer  transposed — but  all  these  condescensions  were  to 
no  purpose  :  the  proposals  were  rejected  and  no  hopes 
of  an  accommodation  left.  However,  that  nothing 
might  be  wanting  on  our  side,  the  bishops  were  all 
desired  to  meet  by  him  (Jeremy  Collier),  who  was  their 
Senior  Bishop,  and  whom  they  had  chosen  as  their 
President,  that  if  they  could  not  be  persuaded  to  union 
they  might  at  least  give  their  reasons  why  they  could 
not  agree  to  these  projx)sals.     But  this  also  failed  of 

1.  Overton's  "  History  of  the  Non-Jurors,"  p.  293. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  33 

success    for   the    three    opposite    bishops    neglected    or 
refused  to  come." 

Deacon  then  goes  on  to  say  that  the  bishops  thereupon 
issued  a  declaration  that  they  thought  it  necessary  to 
put  these  primitive  and  Catholic  usages  into  practice, 
and  instructed  their  clergy  that  communion  with  those 
who  had  taken  the  opposite  side  in  the  controversy  must 
cease.  "From  this  time  we  may  date  the  formal  schism, 
and  from  that  time  we  thought  ourselves  discharged 
from  all  obligations  to  the  opposite  bishops  and  looked 
upon  our  own  to  be  the  true  Catholic  Bishops  and  to 
have  the  whole  spiritual  power  over  the  Catholic  Church 
in  England." 

With  regard  to  this  sermon  it  may  be  said,  by  way  of 
side  comment,  that  what  strikes  harshly  on  modern  ears 
is  the  choice  of  a  highly  controversial  subject  for  such 
an  occasion  as  Palm  Sunday.  Deacon  evidently  felt  no 
incongruity  in  dealing  with  controversial  matters  in 
sacred  seasons,  as  a  tract  of  his,  dated  Good  Friday  17 19, 
is  in  existence  in  the  form  of  a  reply  to  an  attack  made 
on  him  by  Bishop  Spinckes.^ 

As  to  the  subject  matter  of  the  sermon,  a  few  brief 
remarks  will  suffice.  It  is  true  that  Collier  and  Brett 
took  the  leading  part  in  defending  the  restoration  of  the 
Usages,  and  it  is  certainly  true  that  they  were  both  quite 
capable  of  defending  their  position.  But  anyone  who 
has  read  between  the  lines  of  Deacon's  remarks  must 
have  perceived  that  there  never  was  any  real  desire  for 
peace,  and  that  a  separation  was  from  the  first  intended 
and  desired.  I  believe  that  Collier  and  Brett  were  really 
in  modern  phrase  * 'rushed"  by  other  members  of  their 
party,  among  whom  I  should  put  in  the  first  place 
Archibald  Campbell,  and  secondly,  young  as  he  was, 
Thomas  Deacon  himself.  Thomas  Brett,  there  is  reason 
to  believe,  from  a  letter  of  his  written  in  1729  and  copied 
in  the  MS.  which  has  been  referred  to  in  this  chapter, 
showed  some  desire  to  retrace  his  steps.     However,  the 

1.  See  note,  p.  34. 
E 


34  THOMAS  DEACON 

schism  had  now  been  accomplished  and  pamphlets 
abounded  on  both  sides.  One  or  two  of  these  have 
special  connection  with  Deacon  but  the  others  may  be 
briefly  indicated.  Jeremy  Collier's  "Reasons  for  restor- 
ing some  prayers  and  directions  as  they  stood  in  the 
first  English  Reformed  Liturgy,"  appeared  in  171 7. 
Spinckes  immediately  answered  this  in  "No  reasons  for 
restoring,  etc."  Collier  followed  in  1718  with  "A  defence 
of  the  Reasons,"  and  Spinckes  again  replied  with  "No 
sufficient  reason,  etc."  In  the  course  of  this  pamphlet 
Bishop  Spinckes  made  some  hostile  criticism  on 
Deacon's  "Purgatory,"  and  quoting  largely  from  that 
work,  accused  Deacon  of  ignoring  the  Scriptures  and 
placing  tradition  above  them.  Deacon's  reply  was  the 
pamphlet  dated  Good  Friday,  1719.^  He  states  that  by 
appealing  to  tradition  he  expressly  included  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  proceeds  "Hard  it  is  that  a  Christian 
and  a  Priest  of  the  Catholic  Church  should  be  called 
upon  to  declare  that  he  receives  and  respects  the  Scrip- 
tures. Yet  this  is  my  case  :  I  am  falsely  accused  and  I 
am  forced  in  my  own  vindication  to  show  that  I  do  really 
believe  the  Scriptures  and  do  not  set  them  aside." 
Deacon  then  proceeds  to  illustrate  his  point  by  means  of 
a  curious  dialogue  between  a  "Catholic  and  a  Sectarian," 
the  latter  of  whom  is  supposed  to  take  Bishop  Spinckes' 
view  of  the  unlawfulness  of  appealing  to  tradition.  The 
subject  of  debate  is  the  "Washing  of  the  Disciples' 
feet,"  and  the  Sectarian  argues  that  on  Scriptural 
authority  this  practice  ought  to  be  preserved,  and  the 
fact  that  there  is  no  traditional  sanction  for  the  practice 
does  not  weigh  with  him  in  the  least.  The  application 
which  Deacon  desired  to  make  is  easy  to  be  perceived. 
It  is  to  the  effect  that  to  ignore  tradition  is  to  be  involved 
in  contradictions  and  absurdities. 

It  was  doubtless  this   dialogue  which   suggested  to 

1.  "  The  Plaintiff's  Charge  Disprov'd  and  turned  upon  himself  by  the 
Defendant  in  a  Letter  to  the  Author  of  no  Sufficient  Reason,"  etc. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  35 

Matthias  Earbery  the  form  of  his  reply  which  is  entitled 
**A  dialogue  between  Timothy  a  Churchman,  and 
Thomas  an  Essentialist."  Earbery  was  a  non-juror  of 
a  very  militant  type,  and  attacked  those  of  his  own  party 
with  equal  violence  and  ability.  The  dialogue  is  drawn 
up  in  a  style  which  makes  highly  entertaining  reading. 
Timothy  begins  by  asking  Thomas  '*What  he  does  at 
that  time  of  day  :  has  he  been  playing  truant?  "  This 
style  of  argument  might  perhaps  be  calculated  to  take 
the  wind  out  of  an  adversary's  sails  at  the  very  outset, 
and  throughout  the  dialogue  Deacon's  youthfulness  is 
mercilessly  ridiculed.  Timothy  accurately  describes 
Deacon's  confident  and  authoritative  style.  Referring 
to  *'Purgatory"  and  the  "Letter"  he  says,  ''they  carry 
that  air  of  authority  I  concluded  the  author  must  be  at 
least  some  dignitary  of  the  Church."  On  Thomas 
stating  that  he  had  been  in  Orders  for  some  two  or  three 
years  Timothy  replies,  "Why  thou  art  hardly  of  age  yet 
man,  there's  a  canon  or  two  in  the  way."  Thomas 
excuses  himself  from  further  attendance  on  the  ground 
that  he  has  a  "translation  on  the  anvil."  This  doubtless 
refers  to  the  translation  of  Tillemont's  "History  of  the 
Arians,"  published  in  1721  (see  Appendix  A).  But 
above  all  Charles  Leslie's  contribution  to  the  controversy 
is  of  considerable  value,  and  his  judgment  on  the  matter 
will  probably  be  approved  by  those  who  look  back  upon 
it  from  a  distance  of  200  years.  Charles  Leslie  (1650 — 
1722)  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  described  by  Johnson 
as  "a  reasoner  who  could  not  be  reasoned  against,"  held 
the  chancellorship  of  Connor  at  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  on  his  deprivation  came  over  to  London.  He 
was  a  most  voluminous  writer  and  an  experienced 
controversialist,  and  in  the  dispute  as  to  the  Usages  was 
perhaps  the  strongest  opponent  of  the  party  of  Collier 
and  Brett.  In  a  "Letter  from  the  Reverend  Charles 
Leslie  concerning  the  new  separation  addressed  to  Mr. 
W.  Bowyer,"  the  case  against  the  Usagers  is  put  with 


36  THOMAS   DEACON 

remarkable  force — *'Who  made  this  separation  :  did  they 
separate  from  you  because  you  put  Water  in  your  Wine  : 
or  did  you  separate  from  them  because  they  did  not?" 
Leslie  comments  with  some  satire  on  the  uncompromis- 
ing attitude  of  his  opponents,  "The  aggressor  is  answer- 
able for  the  bloodshed  on  both  sides  :  but  he  exhorts 
those  whom  he  attacks  to  be  sure  not  to  strike  again, 
because  it  is  the  second  blow  makes  the  quarrel,  and  it 
must  and  shall  be  his  way,  for  he  hates  contention  and 
speaks  much  of  Peace,  Union,  Christian  Love  and 
Charity." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Leslie  goes  straight  to  the 
essence  of  the  controversy.  If  the  Usagers  had  pleaded 
for  the  Restoration  of  some  primitive  practices  they 
would  have  been  on  comparatively  strong  ground,  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact  they  desired  much  more  than  mere 
restoration  of  edifying  ceremonies.  They  held  that  the 
usages  were  in  the  highest  degree  essential,  and  hence 
the  name  "Essentialist,"  which  Earbery  gave  to  Deacon, 
may  be  applied  without  injustice  to  the  whole  party,  of 
which  Collier  and  Brett  were  the  nominal  heads.  It 
cannot,  however,  be  denied  that  the  Usagers,  however 
much  their  policy  may  be  open  to  criticism,  were  far 
stronger  than  their  opponents  in  point  of  scholarship 
and  especially  of  knowledge  of  primitive  liturgies.  The 
immediate  result  of  the  schism  in  the  non-juring  party 
was  the  production  of  the  new  Communion  office  of  17 18 
to  which  some  consideration  must  now  be  given. 

It  will  have  been  noted  that  the  original  proposition 
of  the  Usagers  was  the  restoration  of  the  Liturgy  which 
we  describe  as  i  Edw.  VI.,  and  that,  in  view  of  the 
considerable  opposition  which  was  manifested,  much 
more  moderate  proposals  were  offered.  It  may,  how- 
ever, be  doubted  whether,  if  these  proposals  had  been 
entertained,  any  real  basis  of  agreement  could  have  been 
found  in  them.  Restless  spirits  such  as  Campbell  and 
Deacon  would  not  in   all  probability  have  been   long 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  37 

content  with  the  very  moderate  revision  of  the  liturgy 
of  1662,  such  as  Deacon  has  given  us  in  his  own  words 
quoted  on  page  31.  But  now  that  ail  hope  of  agreement 
had  gone,  the  Usagers  were  free  to  act  without  any 
reference  to  their  previous  proposals,  and  the  actual 
liturgy  of  which  we  are  about  to  write  was  not  by  any 
means  that  of  i  Edw.  VI.  That  liturgy  was,  from 
certain  points  of  view,  little  more  than  the  Sarum  Missal 
translated  into  English,  that  is  to  say,  the  arrangement 
of  the  Canon  was  essentially  Western,  the  only  variation 
being  the  introduction  of  the  direct  invocation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  But  the  non-jurors  always  had  their  eyes 
turned  to  the  East,  and  their  liturgy  was  in  every  sense 
one  of  the  Oriental  type. 

The  present  place  will  be  appropriate  for  considering 
the  extraordinary  importance  attached  b^  the  non-jurors 
to  the  interesting  collection  of  ecclesiastical  regulations 
which  is  known  to  us  under  the  name  of  the  ''Apostolic 
Constitutions."  The  fact  that  the  Constitutions  contain 
the  so-called  Clementine  Liturgy,  from  which  the  non- 
jurors drew  so  largely,  is  the  justification  for  the 
introduction  in  this  connection  of  a  brief  statement  of 
the  attitude  of  the  non-jurors  to  this  venerable  collection 
of  directions  as  to  Christian  worship.  I  will  quote  the 
words  of  John  Griffin,  consecrated  bishop  in  1722,  who 
published  in  that  same  year  "The  Common  Christian 
instructed  in  some  necessary  points  of  Religion."  To 
this  work  Deacon  wrote  a  postscript  which  is  referred  to 
in  Appendix  A. 

"As  they  were  at  first  compiled  they  are  generally 
allowed  to  have  been  a  collection  of  traditions,  orders, 
and  pastoral  instructions,  which  the  Apostles  or  any  of 
them,  had  delivered  by  word  of  mouth  to  such  as  them- 
selves had  made  Bishops  and  Pastors  of  the  flock  of 
Christ,  preserved  in  memory  by  Apostolic  men  and 
committed  to  writing  by  several  of  them,  or  by  such  as 
had    conversed    with    them.     These    memorials    were 


<^ 


38 


THOMAS  DEACON 


collected  by  an  early,  judicial,  and  impartial  hand,  and 
were  in  good  repute  whilst  they  remained  in  their 
original  purity.  Several  learned  men  have  with  proba- 
bility attributed  this  collection  to  St.  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  who  flourished  in  the  second  century.  But 
whoever  were  the  collectors  of  the  several  pieces  of  which 
this  book  was  at  first  composed,  the  collector  himself  was 
not  the  author  of  them  :  the  things  themselves  were 
extant  before  :  the  compiler  only  put  the  scattered  pieces 
together  in  the  method  he  thought  most  proper." 

Deacon's  own  estimate  of  the  Apostolic  Constitutions 
is  given  in  an  Appendix  to  his  "Compleat  Devotions'* 
in  which  he  collected  various  observations  by  different 
Divines  upon  the  subject. 

"The  Book  called  the  'Apostolic  Constitutions'  con- 
tains the  Doctrines,  Laws,  and  Settlements  which  the 
three  first  and  purest  centuries  of  the  Gospel  did  with 
one  consent  believe,  obey,  and  submit  to,  and  that  as 
derived  to  them  from  Apostolical  Men ;  and  the  contents 
thereof  may  be  confirmed  by  the  consentient  testimony 
of  the  Fathers  of  those  centuries." 

The  above  quotations  may  be  regarded  as  indicating 
what  was  commonly  believed  concerning  the  Constitu- 
tions by  the  party  of  Collier,  Brett,  Campbell  and 
Deacon.  It  may  however,  be  well  to  set,  side  by  side 
with  these  expressions  of  opinion,  two  more  modern  and 
much  more  balanced  estimates.  Hook's  account  in  his 
"Church  Dictionary"  reads  as  follows — "These  collec- 
tions of  Ecclesiastical  Rules  and  Formularies  were 
attributed  in  the  early  ages  of  the  Church  of  Rome  to 
St.  Clement  of  Rome,  who  was  supposed  to  have 
committed  them  to  writing  from  the  mouths  of  the 
Apostles  whose  words  they  pretend  to  record.  The 
authority  thus  claimed  for  these  writings  has,  however, 
been  entirely  disproved,  and  it  is  generally  supposed 
by  critics  that  they  were  chiefly  compiled  during  the 
second  and  third  centuries,  or  that  at  least  the  greater 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


39 


part  must  be  assigned  to  a  period  shortly  before  the  first 
Nicene  Council." 

Let  us  now  quote  from  the  New  ''Catholic  Encyclo- 
paedia" : — 

**A  Fourth  Century  pseudo-apostolic  Collection  in 
eight  books  of  independent,  though  closely  related, 
treatises  on  Christian  discipline,  worship  and  doctrine, 
intended  to  serve  as  a  manual  of  guidance  for  the  clergy, 
and  to  some  extent  for  the  laity."  The  writer  goes  on 
to  say  that  Canon  46  rejected  all  heretical  baptism,  and 
that  this  fact  alone  caused  the  Constitutions  to  be  viewed 
with  suspicion  in  the  West,  as  being  entirely  at  variance 
with  the  traditional  practice  of  the  Roman  Church.  It 
is  of  interest  to  note  that  while  most  (if  not  all)  of  the 
non-jurors  held  the  invalidity  of  lay  baptism,  Archibald 
Campbell,  Roger  Laurence  and  Thomas  Deacon  carried 
their  beliefs  on  this  point  to  a  great  extreme,  all  of  them 
of  course  deriving  their  sanction  from  the  Canon 
previously  mentioned.^ 

It  has  been  held  by  many  from  the  time  of  Archbishop 
Ussher  (d.  1656)  that  the  Pseudo-Clement  of  the  Con- 
stitutions is  identical  with  the  interpolator  of  the  Ignatian 
Epistles.  The  Constitutions  were  quite  unknown  in  the 
mediaeval  Western  Church;  in  1546  a  Latin  version  of 
a  text  found  in  Crete  was  published,  and  in  1563  a 
complete  Greek  text  was  produced  by  the  Jesuit  father 
Torres.  This  marked  the  re-introduction  of  the  work  to 
Western  Christendom. 

A  point  to  be  noted  about  the  doctrine  contained  in  the 
Constitutions  is  that  in  places  the  tone  is  distinctly  that 
of  Subordinationism.  It  would  be  perfectly  logical  for 
anyone  who  regarded  these  documents  from  Deacon's 
point  of  view  to  conclude  that  the  doctrine  of  the  Primi- 
tive  Church    was    Arianism,    and   there    is   a   striking 

1.  Campbell  published  in  1738,  under  the  name  of  Philalethes,  a  letter 
to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  on  this  subject :  it  purported  to  be 
written  by  a  layman  in  communion  with  the  English  Church,  and  was 
not  such  as  to  increase  the  reputation  of  the  writer. 


40 


THOMAS   DEACON 


instance  of  such  deductions  being  drawn,  in  the  person 
of  the  celebrated  William  Whiston  (1667 — 1752). 

The  number  of  Whiston 's  writings  is  prodigious  :  it 
embraces  various  departments  of  mathematics  and 
mechanics  as  well  as  patristic  and  apocalyptic  theology. 
Whiston  was  also  accustomed  to  deliver  lectures  on 
scientific  subjects.  John  Byrom  records  the  fact  that  he 
attended  a  lecture  on  ** Parallaxes"  on  April  2nd,  1736, 
*'  and  found  it  tedious  enough."  ^ 

No  one  more  deeply  reverenced  the  Constitutions  than 
Whiston  :  he  is  said  to  have  believed  that  they  were 
directly  dictated  by  the  Apostles.  But  Whiston  seized 
upon  what  may  be  called  the  Arian  side  of  the  doctrine 
in  the  Constitutions  and  immediately  came  into  trouble 
with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  being  deprived  in 
1 7 10  of  the  Lucasian  Professorship  in  which  he  had 
succeeded  New^ton.  He  afterwards  resided  in  London, 
and  according  to  John  Byrom  was  the  source  of  con- 
siderable amusement  to  his  friends,  who  were  accus- 
tomed to  make  a  butt  of  him.^ 

In  the  article  on  Whiston,  written  for  the  Dictionary 
of  National  Biography  by  the  late  Sir  Leslie  Stephen, 
K.C.B.,  it  is  stated  "  that  it  is  not  improbable  that 
Whiston  was  more  or  less  in  Goldsmith's  mind  when  he 
wrote  his  masterpiece  'The  Vicar  of  Wakefield.'  "  The 
resemblance  is  not,  however,  very  striking. 

The  production  of  Whiston  which  is  of  greatest 
interest  to  us  is  a  liturgy  which  he  published  in  17 13, 
and  is  reprinted  as  Volume  3  of  Hall's  Fragmenta 
Liturgica.  It  is  described  as  "The  Liturgy  of  our 
Church  as  reduced  nearer  to  the  Primitive  standard." 
In  the  preface  Whiston  highly  praises  i  Edw.  VI.,  and 
suggests  the  permissive  use  of  that  liturgy.  Such 
proposals  have  frequently  been  made  in  the  present  day. 
Whiston's   liturgy   is   practically  that  of    i    Edw.   VI. 


1.  Byrom'g  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  30. 

2.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  pp.  495  and  546. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


41 


except  that  here  and  there  traces  of  his  Arianism  are  to 
be  found,  such  as  the  omission  of  the  preface  for  Trinity- 
Sunday.  There  is  also  the  insertion  from  the  Clemen- 
tine Liturgy  of  the  ancient  "Holy  Things  for  Holy 
Persons"  with  the  refrain,  and  the  form  of  consecration 
from  that  liturgy  is  appended,  apparently  as  an  alterna- 
tive. I  have  given  the  foregoing  account  of  Whiston's 
liturgy  as  illustrating  the  fact  that  the  non-jurors  were 
not  alone  in  suggesting  some  revision  of  the  established 
form,  and  for  the  same  reason  I  may  perhaps  be  allowed 
to  give  a  brief  account  of  yet  another  liturgy  published 
in  i6g6  by  Edward  Stephens,  a  Divine  of  great  repute 
for  learning,  and  said  by  Thomas  Hearne  "to  be  for  the 
Greek  rather  than  the  Western  Church."  He  was 
certainly  a  strongly  anti-Roman  controversialist,  but  this 
did  not  prevent  him  from  making  use  of  the  strongest 
possible  language  in  condemnation  of  those  by  whom 
"the  true  English  Reformed  Liturgy  (i  Edw.  VL)  was 
disordered,  dismembered  and  defaced."  Stephens' 
liturgy  is  essentially  that  of  i  Edw.  VL^ 

It  is  now  high  time  to  come  to  that  for  which  all  that 
has  been  said  in  this  chapter  is  intended  to  serve  as 
introduction,  namely,  the  non-jurors'  New  Communion 
Office,  published  in  London  in  17 18.  The  question  at 
once  arises  as  to  who  was  the  principal  author  of  this 
Office.  The  Reverend  Peter  Hall,  the  compiler  of  the 
collection  of  i8th  Century  adaptations  of  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  published  at  Bath  in  1848  under  the 
title  of  Fragmenta  Liturgica,  states  that  in  the  copy  in 
his  possession  is  a  MS.  note  as  follows  : — "Mr.  Deacon 
drew  up  this  form  but  Mr.  Collier  new  translated  the 
Eucharistical  Thanksgiving  before  the  words  of  Institu- 
tion, as  I  have  seen  by  a  paper  in  Mr.  (afterwards  Dr.) 

1.  It  is  curious  to  note,  concerning  all  the  adaptations  of  1  Edw.  VI., 
that  no  office  founded  on  that  liturgy  ever  restored  the  Gloria  in 
Excelsis  to  the  position  it  held  at  the  commencement  of  the  service. 
That  was  the  traditional  position  for  this  hymn  in  the  West,  but  it 
may  be  said  of  all  the  revisers  of  the  18th  century  that  "they  were  for 
the  Greek  rather  than  for  the  Western  Church." 


42 


THOMAS  DEACON 


Deacon's  handwriting.**  The  volume  thus  annotated, 
writes  Mr.  Hall,  came  from  the  library  of  the  late  Dr. 
Bowdler  of  Swansea,  and  the  note  is  probably  from  the 
pen  of  his  father,  Mr.  Bowdler  of  Bath. 

The  Bowdlers,  who  originally  sprung  from  Hope 
Bowdler  in  Shropshire,  were  an  old  non-juring  family. 
Thomas  Bowdler  (1661 — 1738)  was  at  the  Admiralty  at 
the  time  when  the  Duke  of  York  was  Lord  High 
Admiral.  His  position  at  the  Revolution  was  second  to 
that  of  Samuel  Pepys  whom  he  followed  into  retirement, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  few  lay  non-jurors  who  suffered 
for  their  opinions.  Thomas  Bowdler  was  the  intimate 
friend  of  Bishop  Hickes  who  made  him  his  executor. 
His  eldest  son,  also  named  Thomas,  was  father  of  two 
sons,  John  and  Thomas.  The  elder  attended  Bishop 
Gordon,  the  last  non-juring  Bishop  of  the  regular  line, 
at  his  death  in  1779,  and  is  said  himself  to  have  been 
the  last  non-juror  in  London.  The  younger  son, 
Thomas,  has  immortalised  the  family  name  in  his  edition 
of  Shakespeare.  A  branch  of  this  family  has  for  three 
generations  been  connected  with  the  cotton  trade  at 
Kirkham  in  Lancashire,  and  through  the  kindness  of  the 
present  representative  of  the  family,  R.  Hope  Bowdler, 
Esq.,  J. P.,  I  have  been  able  to  see  a  copy  of  "the  Life  of 
John  Bowdler  with  some  remarks  on  Thomas  Bowdler, 
by  Thomas  Bowdler,  the  younger,*'  printed  privately 
in  1824.  Much  interesting  information  relative  to  this 
ancient  family  is  found  in  this  pamphlet. 

Returning  now  to  the  consideration  of  Hall's  remarks 
concerning  the  MS.  note  in  his  copy  of  the  Communion 
Office,  it  will  be  plain  that  the  **Late  Dr.  Bowdler  of 
Swansea  "  is  the  Shakesperean  Editor,  and  that  the 
*'Mr.  Bowdler  of  Bath"  is  the  son  of  Thomas  Bowdler, 
late  of  the  Admiralty. 

Mr.  Hall  justly  points  out  that  there  may  be  two 
opinions  as  to  the  authenticity  of  this  fact.  Overton 
declares  that  it  is  absurd  on  the  face  of  it  to  attribute  the 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


43 


drawing  up  of  the  liturgy  to  Deacon,  as  he  was  then 
little  more  than  20  years  of  age.  It  should,  however, 
be  pointed  out  that  the  ''  Doctrine  of  Purgatory," 
published  in  this  same  year,  was  undoubtedly  written 
by  Deacon,  and  there  is  therefore  nothing  inherently 
improbable  or  "absurd"  in  attributing  to  Deacon  at 
least  some  share  of  the  drawing  up  of  the  new  Com- 
munion Office.  It  is  perfectly  true  to  say  with  Canon 
Overton,  that  whoever  wrote  the  preface  had  much  to  do 
witK  the  drawing  up  of  the  liturgy,  and  in  the  opinion 
of  the  present  writer  this  preface  is  written  exactly  in 
Deacon's  clear,  didactic,  uncompromising  style.  Any- 
one who  takes  the  trouble  to  read  a  few  consecutive 
chapters  from  Brett's  *'  Collection  of  Liturgies  "  will 
p>erceive  at  once  that  there  is  in  Brett's  writings  a  tone 
of  scholarly  reserve  and  consideration  for  his  opponents 
which  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  of  Deacon's  works 
written  at  this  early  period  of  his  life.  I  venture, 
therefore,  to  think  that  the  writer  of  the  Life  of  Deacon 
in  the  "Dictionary  of  National  Biography"  is  right  in 
attributing  the  Office  to  Deacon,  and  the  same  attitude 
is  adopted  in  the  catalogue  of  the  Chetham  Library,  in 
which  the  liturgy  is  placed  under  Deacon's  name.  It 
is  not,  of  course,  to  be  inferred  that  Collier  and  Brett 
entirely  delegated  the  matter  to  Deacon.  The  Office, 
when  completed,  would  naturally  go  forth  under  the 
Imprimatur  of  Collier  as  the  chief  of  the  non-juring 
bishops,  and  all  his  colleagues  would  at  least  finally 
revise  the  work,  but  on  the  whole  it  appears  extremely 
probable  that  Deacon  had  the  chief  share  in  translating 
and  drawing  up  the  liturgy  which  we  are  now  about  to 
examine.  The  preface  briefly  describes  the  variations 
from  I  Edw.  VI.  which  will  be  noticed  in  considering 
the  liturgy  itself.  Curious  reasons  are  given  for  omit- 
ting the  Decalogue.  Not  content  with  pointing  out  that 
the  omission  was  also  made  in  i  Edw.  VI.,  the  writer 
states  that  "the  fourth  Commandment  looks  somewhat 


/^ 


44 


THOMAS   DEACON 


foreign  to  the  Christian  Religion  as  jx)inting  to  the 
observance  of  Saturday.  As  it  could  not  well  have  been 
singly  omitted  it  is  thought  fit  to  waive  repeating  the 
rest."  The  conclusion  of  the  preface  may  be  quoted: 
"Upon  the  whole  here  is  nothing  introduced  without 
unexceptionable  warrant :  nothing  of  late  beginning. 
Here  is  no  application  to  Saints  or  Angels,  no  Worship 
of  Images,  no  praying  the  dead  out  of  Purgatory  :  no 
adoration  of  the  consecrated  elements,  nothing  that 
supposes  a  corporal  presence  either  by  trans-  or  con- 
substantiation^ :  in  short,  nothing  but  what  is  primitive 
and  agreeable  to  Scripture  and  practised  by  the  best 
recommended  and  enlightened  ages." 

As  to  the  liturgy  itself  I  desire  to  illustrate  what  may 
be  said  of  it  by  quotations  from  Brett's  "Liturgies"  and 
Deacon's  "Remarks  on  the  Reverend  S.  Downes' 
Historical  Account  of  the  several  Reviews  of  the  Liturgy 
of  the  Church  of  England."  Mr.  Downes  stated  "that 
Mr.  Stephens'  new  Office  led  the  way,  Mr.  Whiston 
published  his  reformation  of  the  whole  in  17 13,  and  now 
we  have  Mr.  Collier  and  Dr.  Brett  who,  excepting  his 
Arianism,  copy  from  him  the  rest  of  his  alterations." 
Deacon  denies  this  with  some  warmth.  Mr.  Collier,  he 
says,  never  saw  Whiston's  liturgy,  and  Dr.  Brett  had 
neither  seen  nor  heard  of  it.  This  is  probably  true 
enough  :  all  three  revisers  had  copied  not  from  each 
other  but  from  the  same  source,  the  Apostolic  Constitu- 
tions. As  to  the  reasons  why  i  Edw.  VL  was  not 
restored  Dr.  Brett  says,  "Where  both  these  (i  Edw.  VL 
and  the  present  liturgy)  have  departed  from  the  practice 
of  the  Church  there  we  thought  it  necessary  to  follow 


1.  This  curious  coupling  together  of  the  Tridentine  and  Lutheran 
definitions  suggests  the  thought  that,  although  the  non-jurors  held  very- 
advanced  views  as  to  the  Eucharistic  sacrifice,  they  not  only  protested 
very  strongly  against  the  Tridentine  definition  of  the  Sacramental 
Presence,  but  practically  held  the  doctrine  of  what  is  sometimes  called 
"  Virtualism."  Many  in  the  present  day  who  are  in  a  limited  sense 
the  successors  of  the  non-jurors,  would  probably  consider  them  seriously 
deficient  in  their  view  of  the  reality  of  the  Presence. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


45 


the  much  older  Hturgy  than  either  of  them."  Brett  also 
quotes  from  Collier's  'Reasons  for  the  Restoration,  etc' 
"The  revival  of  that  liturgy  was  not  the  thing  that  was 
asked  for  but  a  restoration  of  primitive  practices  which 
had  been  preserved  there  and  were  abolished  afterwards. 
These  things  were  desired  not  as  agreeable  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  English  Church  in  the  beginning  of 
King  Edward's  reign,  otherwise  than  as  they  were  also 
agreeable  to  that  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  best  and 
purest  times.  And  the  liturgy  of  Edward  VI.  was  not 
made  the  standard  of  what  we  insist  might  be  restored, 
but  the  primitive  Church  of  the  best  and  purest  times 
when  the  government  of  the  English  Church  was  most 
pure." 

The  first  variation  in  the  new  office,  as  compared  with 
I  Edw.  VI.,  is  the  insertion  of  a  prayer  at  the  Offertory 
from  the  liturgy  of  St.  Basil.  The  prayer  of  consecra- 
tion immediately  succeeds  the  Sanctus  :  the  prayer  for 
the  Church,  which  in  i  Edw.  VI.  precedes,  being  post- 
poned till  after  the  consecration.  The  new  book, 
however,  contains,  as  a  preface  to  the  consecration,  a 
recital  of  instances  of  Divine  Providence,  * 'taken  para- 
phrastically  (as  the  preface  states)  from  St.  James' 
liturgy."  The  opening  words  are  ''  Holiness  is  Thy 
nature,  etc.,"  the  quotation  being  almost  word  for  word 
identical  with  the  translation  of  St.  James'  liturgy  which 
is  given  by  Neale  and  Littledale.  I  have  found  the 
translation  by  these  authors  of  the  liturgies  of  SS.  Mark, 
James,  Clement,  Chrysostom  and  Basil  of  great  help  in 
comparing  the  prayers  derived  by  the  non-jurors  from 
the  Oriental  liturgies  with  the  actual  liturgies  themselves. 

There  next  follows  :  — 

1.  The  Recital  of  the  Institution. 

2.  The  Oblation. 

3.  The  Invocation. 

The  two  last  are  in  the  words  of  the  Clementine  liturgy 
and  there  immediately  follows  the  prayer  for  the  Church 


46 


THOMAS  DEACON 


i 


in  the  words  of  i  Edw.  VI.,  and  the  rest  of  the  service 
is  practically  identical  with  that  liturgy. 

In  addition  to  the  liturgy,  properly  so-called,  there 
were  published  at  the  same  time  Offices  for  Confirmation 
and  Visitation  of  the  Sick.  In  the  Confirmation  Office 
the  principal  distinguishing  feature  is  the  restoration  of 
the  Sign  of  the  Cross  and  the  Chrism.  The  Bishop  is 
directed  to  say  :  N.  I  sign  thee  with  the  sign  of  the 
Cross  :   I  anoint  thee  with  Holy  Ointment. 

In  the  Office  for  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick  the  primitive 
practice  of  Unction  is  to  be  used.  The  author  of  the 
preface,  who  is  probably  as  already  stated  Thomas 
Deacon  himself,  affirms  "that  it  is  not  here  administered 
by  way  of  Extreme  Unction,  but  in  order  to  recovery.*' 

It  may  be  noted  that  no  mention  is  made  in  these 
New  Offices  of  the  custom  of  Infant  Confirmation  and 
Communion,  and  so  far  as  I  know  no  sanction  was 
openly  given  to  these  practices  until  the  publication  of 
Deacon's  "Compleat  Devotions"  in  1734.  It  is  never- 
theless probable  that  some  of  the  Usagers  desired  to 
make  these  further  innovations.  Charles  Leslie  in  the 
letter  quoted  on  page  36  indicates  that  in  his  opinion 
the  Usagers  would  eventually  adopt  the  custom  of 
confirming  and  communicating  infants,  which  indeed 
proved  to  be  the  case. 

Such  was  the  liturgy  which  was  the  outcome  of  the 
strife  between  the  opposing  sections  of  the  non-jurors. 
It  had  no  long  continuance  :  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
it  was  used  anywhere  after  173 1-2,  but  in  a  sense  it  has 
had  a  permanent  result.  There  are  two  living  liturgies, 
although  used  in  comparatively  small  religious  conimu- 
nities,  that  of  the  Scottish  Episcopal  Church  and  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States,  which  are  to  be 
traced  directly  to  this  non-juring  liturgy  of  1718.^     In 

1.  It  is  possible  that  the  same  remarks  may  be  applied  to  the  Liturgy 
used  by  the  Irvingite  Community  or  to  adopt  the  official  title,  the 
Catholic  Apostolic  Church.  This  Liturgy  is  a  very  complicated  produc- 
tion, and  a  description  of  it  in  this  place  would  be  wholly  unsuitable. 
It  may,  however,  be  said  that  it  follows  1  Edw.  VI.  more  closely  than 
the  Liturgy  of  1718,  but  in  many  points  it  differs  from  both. 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY 


47 


both  of  these  liturgies  the  component  parts  of  the  prayer 
of  consecration  are  arranged  exactly  on  the  plan  of  the 
liturgy  of  1718,  viz.,  firstly,  the  Recital  of  the  Institu- 
tion ;  secondly,  the  solemn  Oblation ;  thirdly,  the 
Invocation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  order  is  essentially 
Oriental,  and  it  may  be  of  some  interest  to  point  out 
that  a  Church  planted  in  the  far  West  possesses  a 
liturgy  framed  in  accordance  with  the  liturgies  of  the 
ancient  East,  and  that  in  this  sense  the  Usagers  of 
1716-18  have  left  behind  them  some  permanent  memorial. 
There  is  to  be  found  in  the  Library  at  Sion  College  a 
most  interesting  Non-jurors'  Prayer-book,  from  which 
it  is  evident  that  Collier  and  Brett,  on  the  establishment 
of  the  definite  schism  which  followed  the  introduction 
of  the  liturgy  of  17 18,  drew  up  and  authorized  a  complete 
Book  of  Common  Prayer  and  Administration  of  the 
Sacraments  for  the  use  of  their  section  of  the  non-juring 
body.  The  inscription  on  the  title  page  (which  is 
described  as  a  copy)  is  as  follows:  — 

"We  Jeremy  Collier  and  Thomas  Brett,  Bishops  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  England  do  hereby  with  the 
unanimous  consent  of  our  brethren  the  priests  then 
present  receive  and  appoint  this  book  (with  the  several 
insertions  and  deletions)  to  be  our  book  of  Common 
Prayer  and  Administration  of  the  Sacraments  and  other 
rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Church  :  given  under  our 
hands  this  eleventh  day  of  March  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  nineteen. 

Signed         Jer :   Collier. 
Thos.  Brett. 
Witnesses : — 

A.  Campbell. 

Geo.  Brown. 

Roger  Laurence. 

Thos.  Deacon. 

John  Rutter. 

Thomas  Wagstaffe. 


48 


THOMAS   DEACON 


N.B. — The  original  of  this  and  of  the  book  above 
mentioned  annexed  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Thomas  Wagstaffe,  as  Keeper  of  our  original  Church 
Registers." 

The  book  itself  consists  of  a  portion  of  an  English 
Prayer-book  of  the  time  of  William  the  Third  and  of 
the  new  offices  for  Holy  Communion  and  Confirmation 
bound  together  in  one  volume.  In  the  first  portion 
everything  is  as  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  down 
to  the  end  of  the  Collects,  Epistles  and  Gospels.  At 
this  point  is  introduced  the  new  Communion  office.  The 
order  of  Baptism  in  the  Prayer  Book  is  not  amended  in 
j  any  way,  but  the  Confirmation  office  is  not  that  provided 
in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  but  the  form  devised 
by  the  Usagers  in  1718;  the  office  for  the  Visitation  of 
the  Sick  is  altered  with  the  purpose  of  introducing 
Unction  as  described  above,  but  the  remaining  offices 
are  as  they  are  found  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

"The  deletions"  referred  to  are  naturally  concerned 
with  the  names  of  the  King  and  Royal  Family.  These 
are  carefully  erased,  but  the  names  of  the  "  exiled 
family"  are  not  inserted.  There  are  other  slight 
alterations,  as  for  example  in  the  Ordinal,  the  words 
"According  to  the  Order  of  the  Church  of  England" 
are  altered  to  "The  Catholic  Church  in  England."  The 
Book  in  Sion  College  Library  from  which  I  have  drawn 
these  particulars  was  the  property  of  Roger  Laurence," 
and  was  presented  to  Sion  College  on  the  3rd  of  May, 
1814,  by  the  Rev.  George  Gaskin,  Rector  of  St.  Benet's 
Gracechurch,  and  St.  Leonard's,  Eastcheap,  and  of  St. 
Mary's,  Stoke  Newington. 

From  a  further  note  made  (apparently  by  Roger 
Laurence)  on  the  first  page,  it  would  appear  that  the 
book  had  been  carefully  compared  with  the  standard 
book  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Wagstaffe  and  had  been 
found  to  agree  with  the  original  in  all  respects.  A 
statement  to  this  effect  is  signed  by  Roger  Laurence  and 


THE  "USAGES"  CONTROVERSY  49 

witnessed  by  John  Clarke  and  James  Linfield/  on  the 
24th  and  31st  days  of  July,  1732.  The  Rev.  P.  Hall  in 
Fragmenta  Liturgica  (general  introduction,  pages  38 
and  39)  gives  a  very  misleading  and  confused  account  of 
this  book  and  of  the  inscription  upon  it.  He  states  that 
Thomas  Deacon's  signature  was  to  a  document  protest- 
ing against  any  further  alterations.  It  will,  I  think,  be 
clear  that  Deacon's  name  is  simply  attached  as  a  witness 
to  the  authorization  of  the  Book  by  Collier  and  Brett  in 
1719. 

Nothing  more  is  known  of  Thomas  Deacon's  life  in 
London  :  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  interval,  which  is 
noticed  in  Chapter  VI.,  the  remainder  of  his  days  was 
spent  in  Manchester,  to  which  town  he  removed  shortly 
after  the  events  which  have  been  related  in  this  chapter. 
In  1 72 1  he  published  a  translation  of  Tillemont's 
"History  of  the  Arians."  It  is  doubtful  whether  at  this 
time  Deacon  was  residing  in  London  or  Manchester,  but 
all  that  is  actually  known  of  his  life  in  the  Metropolis 
has  now  been  related,  and  for  the  remainder  of  this 
memoir  the  scene  will  be  laid  in  Manchester. 


1.  Clarke    and    Linfield    are    connected    with    a    curious    incident    in 
Deacon's  later  ecclesiastical  life  (see  pp.  138  and  139). 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Deacon's  Removal  to  Manchester:  Short  Account  of 
Manchester  in  1720:  John  Byrom's  "  Private  Journal 
and  Literary  Remains." 

A  BRIEF  description  of  the  town  of  Manchester  in  the 
early  years  of  the  i8th  Century  may  be  considered  a 
necessary  preface  to  the  story  of  Deacon's  life  in  the 
North,  and  at  the  outset  it  is  well  to  remember  that  the 
"North"  in  1720  connotes  very  different  ideas  from 
those  which  are  now  suggested  by  the  mention  of  the 
names  of  the  Counties  of  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire. 
"The  voice  of  the  North"  was  in  1720  little  more  than 
a  whisper.  According  to  Stukeley  the  antiquarian,  who 
visited  the  town  in  1724,  Manchester  "is  the  largest, 
most  rich  and  busy  village  in  England.  Here  are  about 
2,400  families,  and  their  trade,  which  is  incredibly  large, 
consists  of  fustians,  tickings,  girth  webbs,  and  tapes, 
which  are  dispensed  all  over  the  Kingdom  and  to 
Foreign  parts."  The  population  on  the  basis  of  2,400 
families  might  be  calculated  at  about  12,000  people, 
which  would  certainly  include  Salford,  and  according  to 
Mr.  Axon  ^  probably  the  entire  Parish  of  Manchester. 
In  the  year  1757  the  population  of  the  two  towns  had 
risen  to  20,000  :  in  1783  to  40,000,  and  at  the  first  census 
in  1 80 1  to  90,000.  It  will  be  seen  that  in  the  early  years 
of  the  1 8th  Century  the  town  and  district  of  Manchester 
w^ere  about  to  enter  upon  a  rapid  stage  of  development. 
The  statement  of  Stukeley  as  to  the  size  of  the  trade  of 
Manchester  will  attract  the  eye  of  the  modern  reader, 

1.  "Annals  of  Manchester,"  p.  79. 


52  THOMAS   DEACON 

and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  proportion  to  the 
population  the  trade  of  the  town  was  very  considerable. 

It  may  be  said  that  Manchester  had  been  for  some 
generations  the  natural  centre  of  a  manufacturing 
district.  The  processes  of  spinning  and  weaving  were 
carried  on  in  the  homes  of  the  people;  the  spinning- 
wheel  was  commonly  to  be  seen  by  the  fireside  of  small 
cottages,  and  looms  worked  by  hand  were  to  be  found 
in  farm  houses  or  the  larger  dwellings.  Occupation  was 
provided  for  many  people  in  the  trades  of  fulling, 
bleaching,  and  dyeing,  and  as  the  town  of  Manchester 
was  from  very  early  times  regarded  as  the  centre  for  the 
distribution  of  the  finished  goods,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  trade  of  the  town  would  assume  very  considerable 
proportions. 

It  is  perhaps  necessary  to  point  out  that  although  the 
term  "Manchester  Cottons"  was  in  use  to  describe  the 
products  of  Manchester  in  the  i6th,  17th,  and  early  part 
of  the  1 8th  Centuries,  the  goods  were  actually  made  of 
woollen.  The  cotton  trade,  as  we  now  know  it,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  have  commenced  before  the  end  of  the 
1 8th  century.  In  a  preface  written  by  Mr.  Axon  to  a 
pamphlet  entitled  "Manchester,  a  hundred  years  ago, 
being  a  reprint  of  a  description  of  Manchester  by  a  native 
of  the  town,  James  Ogden,  published  in  1783,"  there  is 
to  be  found  an  amusing  account  of  the  fact  that  when  in 
1784  eight  bags  of  cotton  came  from  America  to 
Liverpool  the  custom  house  authorities  detained  them, 
being  sure  that  they  had  not  grown  there.  In  1774  an 
Act  of  Parliament  passed  to  regulate  the  sale  of  cotton 
products  refers  to  the  fact  that  "a  new  manufacture  of 
stuffs  wholly  made  of  raw  cotton  wool  hath  been  lately 
set  up  within  this  kingdom." 

The  principal  building  of  the  town  was  the  Collegiate 
Church  then,  as  now,  kaown  as  the  "old"  church.  The 
appellation  "old"  does  not  however  convey  to  us  exactly 
the  same  meaning  as  it  did  to  our  forefathers,  who  used 


DEACON'S  REMOVAL  TO  MANCHESTER   53 

it  in  distinction  to  the  new  Church  of  St.  Ann  which 
was  consecrated  in  1 712.  In  the  diary  of  Harrold  the 
Manchester  Wig  Maker,  which  is  to  be  found  in  "  Man- 
chester Collectanea,"  edited  by  Harland  for  the  Chetham 
Society,  our  journalist  describes  his  attendance  at 
religious  service  as  varying  between  the  "old"  church 
and  St. Ann's. 

The  College  of  Manchester  was  founded  by  the 
munificence  of  Thomas  Lord  de  la  Warre,  and  received 
its  charter  on  the  ist  of  May  in  the  ninth  year  of  King 
Henry  V.  The  first  foundation  lasted  to  the  year  1547, 
but  a  series  of  rapid  changes  followed  until  30th  of 
September,  1635,  when  the  College  was  refounded  and 
it  is  commonly  styled  in  our  period  "the  College  of 
Manchester  founded  by  King  Charles."  The  Church 
was  within  the  Diocese  of  Chester,  the  Bishop  bein^, 
by  virtue  of  his  office,  Visitor  of  the  College.  The 
Government  of  the  Church  was  assigned  to  a  Warden 
and  four  Fellows,  the  first  Warden  of  the  new  foundation 
being  Richard  Heyrick  (1600 — 1667),  who  owed  his 
appointment  to  certain  money  transactions  between 
James  the  First  and  Sir  William  Heyrick,  father  of  the 
Warden.  During  the  troubles  of  the  Commonwealth 
Heyrick  became  a  zealous  Presbyterian,  and  a  great 
organiser  of  Presbyterian  discipline  throughout  Lan- 
cashire. He  was  consistently  loyal  to  the  King, 
conformed  in  1662,  and  although  efforts  were  made  from 
time  to  time  to  eject  him,  he  remained  in  office  until  his 
death  in  1667.  The  most  distinguished  of  the  ejected 
ministers  was  Henry  Newcome  to  whom  some  further 
slight  reference  will  be  made. 

Nicholas  Stratford  was  the  next  Warden  and  from 
that  time  the  influence  of  Commonwealth  times  may  be 
said  to  have  ceased.  Stratford  was  a  Tory  and  High 
Churchman  and  preached  the  doctrine  of  non-resistance 
in  very  decided  tones.  "A  humble  man  leaves  it  to  his 
government  to  determine  what  it  to  be   imposed  and 


54  THOMAS  DEACON 

thinks  himself  only  concerned  to  obey,  and  if  it  some- 
times happens  that  he  is  not  able  to  discover  the  nature 
of  a  law,  he  still  questions  not  but  there  is  sufficient 
reason  for  it :  his  superiors  (as  standing  upon  higher 
ground)  are  able  to  see  farther  than  he  can.''^  Stratford 
was  nevertheless  a  man  of  conciliatory  temper  and  was 
greatly  alarmed  at  the  policy  of  James  II.  In  1684  he 
resigned  and  remained  in  retirement  until  1689  when  he 
was  consecrated  to  the  See  of  Chester,  thus  becoming 
the  Diocesan  and  Visitor  of  the  Church  of  which  he  was 
formerly  Warden. 

Richard  Wroe  (1641 — 1718)  "the  silver-tongued,"  a 
native  of  Radcliffe,  and  Fellow  of  the  Collegiate  Church 
from  1675,  succeeded  Stratford  as  Warden  in  1684.  ^^ 
was  sincerely  attached  to  the  principles  of  the  Revolution 
and  found  no  difficulty  in  supporting  the  new  dynasty 
during  the  short  period  which  elapsed  between  the 
Accession  of  George  I.  and  his  own  death  on  ist 
January,   lyjj. 

But  the  period  of  unquestioning  adherence  to  the 
Revolution  was  now  passing  away  and  from  this  time 
onwards  the  influence  of  the  Jacobite  party  in  Manchester 
was  supreme.  Sir  William  Dawes  succeeded  to  Chester 
in  1707  and  on  his  translation  to  the  primatial  See  of 
York  in  17 14  was  succeeded  at  Chester  by  Francis 
Gastrell  who  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  writing 
(1720)  was  engaged  in  a  prolonged  and  acrimonious 
dispute  concerning  the  nomination,  on  July  ist,  1718,  of 
Samuel  Peploe  to  the  Wardenship  of  Manchester  in 
succession  to  Richard  Wroe. 

This  account  of  Manchester  must  not  be  closed 
without  a  brief  mention  of  the  two  foundations  of 
Humphrey  Chetham,  the  Hospital  and  Library,  to  both 

1.  From  the  introduction  to  Dr.  Stratford's  "Dissuasive  from 
Eevenge"  addressed  to  the  inhabitants  of  Manchester  and  Salford. 
Quoted  by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  in  "  Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii, 
p.    16. 


DEACON'S  REMOVAL  TO  MANCHESTER   55 

of  which  institutions  his  name  is  attached.  The  name 
of  the  College,  commonly  given  to  the  building  within 
which  both  Hospital  and  Library  are  contained,  keeps 
in  memory  the -fact  that  it  was  formerly  the  residence  of 
the  Wardens  and  Fellows  of  the  Collegiate  Church, 
being  purchased  and  applied  to  its  present  use  under 
the  will  made  by  Humphrey  Chetham  in  165 1.  The 
College  was  dedicated  to  its  two-fold  purpose  on  the 
5th  of  August,  1656.  The  Free  Library,  which  is  of 
some  interest  to  the  present  memoir,  has  for  250  years 
opened  its  doors  to  all  comers,  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  gathered  within  its  walls  in  the  early  years  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century  a  friendly  company  of  which 
Thomas  Deacon  was  by  no  means  an  undistinguished 
member. 

It  may  be  noted  finally  that  Stukeley  describes 
Manchester  as  a  'village,'  which  refers  to  the  fact  that 
the  town  had  no  Corporation,  but  was  in  the  words  of 
James  Ogden  '  only  a  market  town  governed  by 
constables.'  The  same  writer  was  of  opinion  that 
'nothing  could  be  more  fatal  to  its  trading  interest  than 
if  it  should  be  incorporated  and  have  representation  in 
Parliament.'  These  two  evils  were  postponed  for  many 
years  after  the  period  with  which  we  are  concerned. 
Representation  in  Parliament  was  not  granted  until  1832 
and  the  Incorporation  of  the  town  was  deferred  until 
1838. 

During  these  early  years  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  influence  of  the  Tory  party  had  been  steadily 
growing  in  Manchester,  and  the  number  of  those  who 
were  at  least  favourably  disposed  to  the  exile  family  was 
not  by  any  means  inconsiderable.  At  the  same  time 
the  power  of  the  Presbyterian  party  steadily  declined. 

The  causes  to  which  the  revival  of  Toryism  and 
Jacobitism  in  Manchester  is  to  be  attributed,  afford  an 
interesting  matter  of  speculation,  and  the  present  writer 
has  not  seen  any  entirely  satisfactory  explanation.     The 


56 


THOMAS    DEACON 


three  reasons  given  by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware^  are  not  very 
convincing.     They  may  be  summarised  as  follows:  — 

I.  The  influence  of  the  Tory  ministries  of  Queen 

Anne. 
II.  The  fact  that  many  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  best  families  found  occupation  in  the  trade 
of  the  district  instead  of  drifting  up  to  London. 
III.  The  influence  of  the  doctrines  preached  from  the 
pulpit  of  the   'Old  Church.' 

The  second  reason  appears  very  fanciful  but  there 
may  be  an  element  of  truth  in  the  third.  The  population 
of  the  town,  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
clustered  round  the  old  church  to  an  extent  which  is  now 
difficult  to  be  imagined.  James  Ogden  refers  to  a  walk 
which  he  took  round  the  boundaries  of  the  town  in  1780, 
from  which  we  can  obtain  some  idea  of  the  narrow  limits 
within  which  Manchester  was  confined,  even  at  a  period 
60  years  later  than  that  which  we  are  immediately 
considering.  He  begins  at  the  "gate  which  leads  into 
Castlefield,"  walks  through  the  fields  to  Booth  Street, 
notices  that  the  whole  land  from  that  spot  to  Market 
Street  Lane  is  built  up  except  *'  Brown's  Hall,"  and 
proceeds  to  the  new  Infirmary  where  the  River  Tib 
formed  the  boundary  of  the  town  in  that  direction.  He 
then  goes  by  Shudehill  and  Miller's  Lane  to  Long 
Millgate  where  the  Irk  crossed  by  Scotland  Bridge 
formed  another  boundary.  On  the  left  of  Miller's  Lane 
Ogden  notices  the  Workhouse  Buildings,  which  were 
the  cause  of  a  famous  controversy  to  which  we  shall 
refer.  Crossing  the  Irk  by  a  wooden  bridge  leading  to 
Hunt's  Bank,  he  arrives  at  the  Salford  boundary  and 
proceeds  along  Deansgate  to  his  starting  point  at 
Castlefield. 

We  shall  now  perhaps  be  able  to  see  that  the  little 

1.  "  Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol,  ii,  pp.  69  and  70. 


DEACON'S  REMOVAL  TO  MANCHESTER    57 


town  of  Manchester  in  1720  was  simply  built  around 
the  walls  of  the  old  Collegiate  Church,  and  it  is  easy  to 
believe  that  the  influence  of  the  Church  over  the  life  of 
the  community  was  of  much  greater  extent  than  can 
readily  be  imagined  at  the  present  day.  There  is  no 
shadow  of  doubt  that  for  a  long  series  of  years  the 
chapter  house  of  the  old  Church  was  occupied  by  those 
whose  attachment  to  their  Whig  governors  was  of  a  very 
lukewarm  description.  The  abortive  trial  of  the 
Jacobites  in  1694,  the  excitement  aroused  by  the 
Sacheverell  trial  in  1709,  the  riots  in  celebration  of  the 
Pretender's  birthday  in  17 15,  which  culminated  in  the 
wrecking  of  the  Chapel  in  Cross  Street  which  had  been 
built  for  Henry  Newcome,  may  be  regarded  as  marking 
different  stages  in  the  progress  of  the  Jacobite  Revival, 
and  may  perhaps  help  us  to  understand  why  Thomas 
Deacon  should  choose  Manchester  for  his  new  home  and 
sphere  of  influence.  Nothing  is  really  known  of  the 
reasons  which  moved  Deacon  to  this  choice  beyond  those 
which  I  have  ventured  to  suggest,  but  it  may  be  believed 
that  in  addition  to  what  I  may  call  * 'political  reasons" 
Deacon  had  hopes  that  in  Manchester  he  would  be  able 
to  make  for  himself  a  name  in  the  medical  profession, 
and  in  this  aspiration  at  least  he  was  not  disappointed. 
Our  knowledge  of  Deacon's  life  in  Manchester  is 
almost  entirely  derived  from  the  "Private  Journal  and 
Literary  Remains"  of  John  Byrom,  and  a  brief  notice 
of  this  distinguished  member  of  the  community  of 
Manchester  must  here  be  inserted.  John  Byrom,  poet, 
stenographer,  and  mystic,  the  son  of  Edward  Byrom, 
linen-draper  of  Manchester,  was  born  at  Kersal  Cell  in 
1691.  The  Byroms  of  Manchester  were  a  younger 
branch  of  the  Byroms  of  Salford,  and  they  in  turn  of 
the  original  Byroms  of  Byrom  in  the  Parish  of  Winwick. 
John  Byrom  was  entered  at  Merchant  Taylors'  School  in 
1 701,  proceeded  to  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  in  1708, 
of  which  College  he  w^as  Fellow  from  17 14 — 17 16.     He 


58 


THOMAS    DEACON 


was  intended  for  Holy  Orders,  on  which  subject  a  very 
affecting  letter  from  his  father  is  recorded  in  his 
Remains.^  But  the  idea  was  abandoned  probably  on 
account  of  his  scruples  concerning  the  oaths.  Byrom 
had  however,  not  the  slightest  hesitation  about  conform- 
ing to  the  English  Church,  to  which  indeed  he  was  most 
warmly  attached.  In  1716  he  travelled  on  the  Continent, 
where  he  remained  for  some  time.  Dr.  A.  W.  Ward, 
in  his  edition  of  "Poems  of  John  Byrom"  (Chetham 
Society),  Volume  i,  page  9,  says  "that  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  this  journey  had  a  political 
object,"  and  in  the  Remains  of  John  Byrom,  Volume  i, 
page  34,  there  is  appended  in  a  note  a  similar  statement. 
"There  is  a  mystery  about  Byrom 's  movements  at  this 
period  on  which  there  are  no  papers  to  throw  any  light. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  politics  had  much  to  do 
with  this  concealment." 

We  know  as  a  matter  of  fact  that  Byrom  actually 
visited  the  Pretender  at  Avignon.  The  information  is 
given  by  Byrom  himself  in  recording  a  conversation 
whict  he  had  with  William  Law  in  Somerset  Gardens 
on  August   ist,    1739.^ 

"  He  (Law)  said  that  they  talked  of  the  Pretender's 
coming,  was  I  not  afraid  of  it?  I  said  No,  not  at  all, 
and  he  talked  in  his  favour — and  as  we  came  away  gave 
him  (the  father)  a  most  excellent  character  for  experience, 
wisdom,  and  piety.  I  said  that  I  saw  him  once :  he 
said,  Where  ?  I  said,  at  A(vignon).  He  said,  did  you 
kiss  hands?     I  said,  Yes,  and  parted." 

During  this  sojourn  on  the  Continent  Byrom  studied 
medicine  at  Montpelier,  but  never  practised  although 
he  was  commonly  styled  Dr.  Byrom. 

One  of  his  letters  written  from  Montpelier  is  of  interest 
as  showing  a  much  more  tolerant  attitude  to  the  Roman 
Church  than  was  commonly  felt  by  the  average  English- 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  12. 

2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  259. 


DEACON'S  REMOVAL  TO  MANCHESTER    59 


man  of  the  i8th  Century.  ''For  my  part  I  have  been 
at  Mass  several  times,  and  for  what  external  ceremonies 
there  are  I  see  nothing  to  fright  one  from  it,  nor  indeed 
from  any  way  of  communion  with  'em,  if  they  would 
excuse  one  from  believing  so-and-so.  For  outward 
pomp  and  magnificence  they  far  outdo  us,  though 
perhaps  in  our  way  of  worship  we  have  retrenched  what 
bears  too  much  upon  excess  in  theirs."^ 

I  do  not  of  course  mean  to  imply  that  Byrom  had  any 
serious  inclination  towards  communion  with  the  Roman 
Church,  but  this  frank  expression  of  tolerant  feeling  is, 
I  submit,  somewhat  interesting  and  contrasts  forcibly 
not  only  with  the  traditional  English  suspicion  of  all 
things  Roman,  but  also  the  dogmatic  and  confident  tone 
in  which  Thomas  Deacon  was  accustomed  to  attack 
Roman  theology. 

In  1 72 1  John  Byrom  married  his  first  cousin,  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Byrom,  and  was  for  some  time  in 
comparatively  straitened  circumstances,  under  pressure 
of  which  he  spent  much  time  in  London  inventing, 
perfecting,  and  teaching  a  system  of  shorthand  for 
which  in  his  own  day  he  was  principally  famous, 
although  he  is  now  known  almost  exclusively  as  the 
author  of  "Christians,  Awake."  ^  Byrom's  life  for  a 
number  of  years  was  so  closely  related  to  that  of  Deacon 
that  to  a  large  extent  the  same  biography  may  be  said  to 
serve  for  both,  and  it  will  be  convenient  at  this  point  to 
insert  a  brief  notice  of  the  ''Private  Journal  and  Literary 
Remains  of  John  Byrom,"  edited  by  the  late  Canon 
Parkinson,   for  the  Chetham  Society  in   1854-7. 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  40. 

2.  This  statement  may  require  some  qualification.  With  regard  to 
Lancashire  in  particular  and  the  North  of  England  as  a  whole,  it  is 
doubtless  correct  to  say  that  Byrom  is  now  chiefly  remembered  by  his 
Christmas  hymn ;  but  in  the  South  it  is  probable  that  his  name  is  more 
immediately  associated  with  the  verse  "  God  bless  the  King — God  bless 
the  Faith's  Defender,  etc."  Although  "  Christians  Awake "  is  sung 
wherever  the  English  tongue  is  spoken  the  name  of  the  composer  may 
very  possibly  not  be  remembered  outside  his  native  county. 


6o 


THOMAS  DEACON 


The  story  of  the  production  of  this  Journal  is  worth 
telHng.  Canon  Parkinson,  having  the  privilege  of  the 
acquaintance  of  Miss  Atherton,  great  grand-daughter  of 
John  Byrom,  discovered  at  Kersal  Cell  and  at  the  family 
house  in  Quay  Street,  large  quantities  of  written  material 
and  secured  the  consent  of  Miss  Atherton  for  its 
publication.  It  was  found  that  much  of  it  was  written 
in  Byrom 's  shorthand  which  was  almost  forgotten,  but 
through  the  diligence  of  a  lady  member  of  Miss 
Atherton 's  household,  the  whole  was  deciphered,  and  the 
result  is  a  Journal  which  is  worthy  to  be  compared  with 
that  of  Pepys,  or  Evelyn.  It  is  perhaps  a  dangerous 
thing  to  enter  upon  comparisons,  but  there  is  a  certain 
similarity  to  be  noticed  between  the  diaries  of  Evelyn 
and  Byrom,  both  from  the  religious  and  political  stand- 
point. A  study  of  Byrom's  Journal  will  confirm  the 
estimate  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Ward^  that  in  Byrom  are  to  be 
found  * 'among  other  rare  and  exquisite  qualities  a  high 
moral  conscientiousness  and  a  profound  tenderness  of 
heart,  which,  when  blended  together,  suffice  of  them- 
selves to  lift  a  man  above  the  multitude." 

This  Journal  is  sadly  neglected  by  many  in  Byrom's 
native  city,  but  to  a  writer  of  a  memoir  of  Deacon  it  is 
absolutely  indispensable.  The  story  of  Deacon's  life  in 
Manchester,  without  the  aid  of  this  Journal,  would  be 
nothing  more  than  a  bare  recital  of  dates  and  facts,  but 
we  have  by  means  of  Byrom's  writings  the  power  to 
present  Deacon  as  one  of  a  considerable  number  of 
intimate  friends,  and  upon  this  task  we  enter  in  the 
succeeding  chapter. 


1.  Dr.  Ward's  Poems  of  John  Byrom,  Introduction,  p.  5. 


6i 


CHAPTER  V. 
Deacon's  Social  Life  in  Manchester:  1720-45. 

The  date  of  Deacon's  arrival  in  Manchester  is  usually 
given  as  1719-20,  probably  on  account  of  Owen's  state- 
ment in  "  Dr.  Deacon  try'd,"  quoted  on  page  200,  in 
Appendix  B.  "In  1719  or  20,  it  is  certain  you  practised 
physic  in  Manchester."  There  is  no  mention  of  Deacon 
in  Byrom's  Journal  before  the  year  1723,  and  I  incline  to 
the  view  that  Deacon  did  not  leave  London  until  1721 
or  2.  Deacon  married  about  this  time,  but  the  date  is 
not  known,  and  the  lady's  family  name  has  not  been 
preserved  :  her  Christian  name  was  Sarah,  as  recorded 
on  the  tombstone  in  St.  Ann's  Churchyard.  We  do, 
however,  know  that  she  was  a  native  of  London.  John 
Byrom  refers  on  more  than  one  occasion  to  Dr.  Deacon's 
father-in-law,  but  unfortunately  does  not  name  him.  It 
appears  probable  that  he  lived  in  Clerkenwell  or 
Stepney,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  was  alive  in  the  year 
1739,  in  which  year  his  daughter  Sarah  Deacon  paid 
him  a  visit,  taking  with  her  three  boys  and  a  girl.  From 
certain  indications  to  be  found  in  Byrom's  Journal  I 
have  formed  the  opinion  that  Mrs.  Deacon's  father  may 
pHDSsibly  have  been  a  medical  man,  but  this  is  -little  more 
than  conjecture. 

The  eldest  child  of  this  marriage,  Thomas  Theodorus, 
is  said  to  have  been  22  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the 
Rebellion  in  1745,^  and  we  may  therefore  venture  to  fix 
the  date  of  the  marriage  about  the  year  1722.  Whether 
Deacon  brought  his  bride  with  him  to  Manchester  on 
the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  to  the  North,  or  whether  he 
returned  to  bring  the  lady  to  the  home  which  he  was 

.     1.  Lathbury's  "  History  of  the  Non-Jurors,"  p.  389. 


62 


THOMAS   DEACON 


able  to  provide,  is  a  question  which  cannot  now  be 
determined.  We  do,  however,  know  with  certainty,  that 
the  house  in  which  Deacon  Hved  was  next  door  to  the 
**Dog  and  Partridge  Inn,  in  Fennel  Street.^  This,  the 
only  residence  in  Manchester  with  which  Deacon's  name 
is  associated,  was  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  Collegiate 
Church,  of  the  Chetham  Library,  and  of  the  house  of 
his  most  intimate  friend  John  Byrom  which  stood  at 
the  bottom  of  Hanging  Ditch.  Byrom 's  letters  to  his 
wife  were  usually  addressed  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Byrom, 
by  the  Great  Church,  Manchester,  Lancashire. 

In  the  present  chapter  I  shall  endeavour  to  describe 
Deacon's  social  life  down  to  the  outbreak  of  the  troubles 
of  the  '45,  leaving  his  medical  career,  and  his  ecclesias- 
tical career  as  a  non-juring  priest  and  bishop,  to  be  dealt 
with  in  the  two  succeeding  chapters. 

We  have  no  record  of  the  beginning  of  the  friendship 
between  Deacon  and  Byrom,  but  the  first  mention  of 
Deacon  in  the  Journal  is  found  in  a  letter  written  from 
London  to  Mrs.  Byrom  on  November  loth,  1723. 
Byrom  had  just  returned  to  London  after  one  of  his 
brief  visits  to  his  family  in  Manchester,  and  speaks  of 
reading  "Dr.  Deacon's  Book,  which  I  had  left  here  it 
seems."  2  From  the  tone  of  the  letter  it  would  appear 
that  Deacon's  name  was  already  familiar,  and  from  now 
onwards  it  is  seldom  absent  from  Byrom's  letters.  The 
book  referred  to  may  have  been  Deacon's  ''  Purgatory," 


1.  The  "Dog  and  Partridge  Inn"  is  now  known  as  "The  Douglas." 
The  change  of  name  was  made  in  the  year  1886.  For  some  years 
previous  to  this  date  the  inn  was  in  bad  repute  for  disorderly  conduct, 
and  the  change  of  name  was  apparently  made  with  the  purpose  of 
"making  a  fresh  start."  Deacon's  house  stood  immediately  below  the 
inn.  Dr.  Shaw,  in  "  Manchester  Old  and  New "  (p.  13),  gives  a 
reproduction  of  a  drawing  of  the  house.  It  was  a  substantial  structure 
with  a  double- front.  With  regard  to  John  Byrom's  house,  it  is  not  an 
easy  matter  to  define  the  exact  situation,  but  it  certainly  faced  Hanging 
Ditch  on  the  side  nearest  to  the  Exchange,  and  the  back  premises 
probably  opened  on  to  Hunter's  Lane.  Dr.  Shaw  (p.  21)  states  that 
the  house  was  in  Hanging  Ditch,  between  Hunter's  Lane  and  Old 
Millgate. 

2.  Bvrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  60. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  63 

but  I  hazard  the  suggestion  that  it  may  more  probably 
have  been  the  ''translation"  of  Tillemont's  History  of 
the  Arians,  which  is  one  of  Deacon's  least  known  works, 
and  was  published  in  172 1.  In  May  of  the  next  year, 
1724,  Byrom  was  in  Manchester,  and  records  a  visit  paid 
to  him  by  Dr.  Deacon,  and  in  the  succeeding  year,  17^, 
we  have  a  series  of  very  interesting  records. 

On  the  4th  January  in  that  year  Byrom  mentions  a 
visit  to  Deacon  in  his  own  house,  and  on  the  6th 
(Twelfth  Night)  the  two  friends  with  others  were  present 
at  an  oyster  supper  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Cattell,  afterwards  Fellow  of  the  Collegiate  Church. 
Deacon,  it  may  be  noted,  was  no  ascetic,  but  on  the 
contrary  appeared  to  enjoy  thoroughly  friendly  inter- 
course with  men  of  varied  schools  of  thought.  This 
supper  at  Cattell's  house  is  the  first  intimation  of  the 
friendship  which  existed  between  Deacon  and  the 
Clergy  of  the  Collegiate  Church,  which  was  a  very 
marked  feature  of  his  life  in  Manchester.  The  Rev. 
Thomas  Cattell,  the  host  on  this  occasion,  demands  a 
passing  notice.  He  was  of  All  Souls  and  New  Inn  Hall, 
Oxford,  where  he  took  the  M.A.  degree  in  17 15.  In 
1 73 1  he  became  Chaplain  of  the  Collegiate  Church,  in 
succession  to  the  Rev.  R.  Assheton,  and  Fellow  in  1735 
in  succession  to  Rev.  Roger  Bolton.  He  was  the 
constant  friend  of  Deacon  and  Byrom,  and  on  his  death 
in  1745  a  so-called  discovery  was  made  of  an  extra- 
ordinary letter  amongst  his  papers.     (See  page  128.) 

During  this  visit  to  Manchester  Byrom  had  evidently 
been  reading  the  mutual  fulminations  of  Archbishop 
Bramhall  and  Hobbes,  the  philosopher  of  Malmesbury. 
There  had  been  great  discussions  with  Mr.  Cattell  and 
other  friends  concerning  "  second  causes."  Mrs. 
Byrom  took  the  opportunity  of  giving  some  wifely 
advice  as  to  the  impropriety  of  talking  about  such 
matters  in  public.  **That  Dr.  Deacon  had  told  of  some 
expressions  of  mine  that  made  people  think  I  was  an 


64  THOMAS  DEACON 

atheist  or  something  of  that  nature — I  did  not  believe 
Dr.  Deacon  would  say  any  such  thing."  ^  Byrom  had 
possibly  been  taking  in  argument  the  part  of  the 
philosopher,  as  against  the  bishop. 

Under  the  date  of  September  ist,  1725,  a  few  days 
later  than  the  last  quotation,  Byrom  has  preserved  for 
us  a  most  interesting  record  already  referred  to  on  page 
18.  "Dr.  Deacon  came  after  7  o'clock  and  stayed  till 
1 1  or  past,  played  at  chess,  and  I  beat  him  all  but  one 
game  :  he  smoked  a  pipe,  we  had  a  good  deal  of  talk 
about  religious  matters  :  he  told  me  of  his  making  Hall 
and  Paul's  speeches."  It  is  tantalising  to  have  such  a 
brief  record  of  this  conversation.  What  would  one  not 
give  for  some  detailed  account  of  the  talk  "on  religious 
matters?"  Here  we  have  two  men  both  deeply 
religious  and  interested  in  the  study  of  primitive 
Christianity,  both  (to  a  large  extent  at  least)  of  one  mind 
as  to  the  authority  of  primitive  tradition,  and  yet  the 
one  devoted  to  the  English  Church,  and  the  other  a 
leading  spirit  in  a  schism  which  repudiated  the  authority 
of  that  Church.  If  we  could  have  heard  Deacon's  talk 
it  is  just  possible  that  he  would  have  found  some  way 
of  partial  mitigation  of  the  severe  judgment  which  he 
publicly  passed  on  the  English  Church  and  on  all  those 
who  still  conformed  to  her.  We  may  here  quote  a 
rhyme  of  Byrom,  not  because  of  its  merits,  for  truth  to 
tell  it  has  none,  but  because  it  was  evidently  written 
after  one  of  the  many  games  of  chess  which  were  played 
between  the  two  friends. 

"  Checkmate,  dear  Doctor  !     Well  I  do  profess 
It  is  an  admirable  game,  this  chess. 
A  sweet  device  :  whoever  found  it  out, 
He  was  a  clever  fellow  without  doubt.*' 

We  obtain  a  very  pleasing  view  of  the  lighter  side 
of  Deacon's  life  in  connection  with  Byrom 's  system  of 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.   1/7. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  65 

shorthand,  and  as  we  are  not  in  the  present  chapter 
bound  to  strict  chronological  order,  we  may  give  some 
quotations  from  letters  which  passed  between  Deacon 
and  Byrom  on  this  subject,  during  a  period  of  ten  to 
fifteen  years. 

Byrom  first  mentions  shorthand  in  a  letter  written 
from  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  14th  July,  1715.^ 
The  matter  must  have  been  constantly  in  his  mind,  and 
on  27th  May,  1723,  the  first  proposals  for  printing  and 
publishing  a  new  method  of  shorthand  were  issued. 
Byrom  had  the  faculty  of  collecting  around  himself  a 
vast  number  of  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  all  whom 
he  could  interest  in  his  shorthand  system  were  formed 
into  a  society.  Byrom  himself  was  styled  "  Grand 
Master"  and  deputies  were  appointed  in  various  parts 
of  the  country  to  further  the  scheme,  to  whom  was 
assigned  the  title  of  ''Warden."  Deacon  appears  to 
have  thrown  himself  into  the  scheme  with  the  greatest 
energy,  and  became  Byrom's  ''Warden"  at  Manchester. 
He  constantly  addresses  Byrom  as  "  Dear  Grand 
Master,"  and  signs  himself  as  "Your  dutiful  Warden," 
and  on  one  occasion  playfully  conveys  "  Mrs.  Warden's 
kind  remembrances."  2  It  would  be  possible  to  give 
many  quotations  of  this  kind  from  Byrom's  Journal,  but 
I  will  content  myself  with  a  short  description  of  what 
must  have  been  a  humorous  scene  which  took  place  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Manchester  Branch  of  the  Shorthand 
Society  held  on  Friday,  30th  August,  1728.  The 
member  who  acted  as  President  on  this  occasion  had 
appeared  in  a  "black  Bob"  instead  of  the  usual  "white 
Tie- Wig."  For  an  account  of  the  difference  between 
these  two  head-dresses  (which  both  sound  sufficiently 
uncomfortable)  the  reader  may  be  referred  to  Dr.  A.  W. 
Ward's  "Poems  of  Byrom,"  in  which  is  contained  a 
copy  of  the  "Verses  spoken  extempore"  at  this  meeting, 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  1,  p.  32. 

2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  497. 


66  THOMAS  DEACON 

with  some  interesting  comments  from  the  pen  of  Dr. 
Ward  himself.  ^ 

Byrom  appears  to  have  delivered  some  verses  extem- 
pore, which  he  afterwards  reduced  to  writing  at  the 
request  of  Mr.  Leycester  of  Toft  Hall.  The  main  idea 
of  the  poem  is  that  something  must  be  seriously  wrong 
with  the  President,  and  various  members  of  the  Society 
are  addressed  in  turn,  and  asked  for  their  opinion. 
Joseph  Clowes,  the  lawyer,  so  often  mentioned  in 
Byrom's  Journal,  and  Thomas  Cattell,  are  addressed  by 
the  composer  of  the  poem,  but  the  verse  which  is  spoken 
to  Deacon  will  be  of  most  interest  to  us. 

**  You,  Master  Doctor,  will  you  try 
Your  skill  in  Physiognomy  ? 
Of  what  disease  is  it  a  symptom  ? 

Don't  look  at  me,  but  look  at  him,  Tom, 

Is  it  not  scurvy  think  you  ?     Yes, 

If  anything  be  scurvy,  'tis. 
A  Phrenzy  or  a  Periwigmanie, 

That  over-runs  his  Pericranie.** 

Dr.  Ward,  somewhat  laboriously,  as  it  appears  to  me, 
attempts  to  refer  the  name  Tom  to  the  Rev.  T.  Cattell 
or  the  Rev.  T.  Heyward.  It  is  surely  a  familiar 
abbreviation  of  Deacon's  Christian  name. 

During  the  whole  of  the  time  in  which  Byrom  was 
engaged  in  perfecting  his  system  of  shorthand  he  was 
greatly  opposed  by  a  very  active  teacher  of  a  rival 
system  in  the  person  of  James  Weston  of  Edinburgh. 
Byrom  records  that  on  7th  December,  1727,  Deacon  very 
strongly  urged  him  to  write  against  Weston's  book.^ 

New  proposals  for  publishing  the  system  were  printed 
and  issued  on  ist  November,  1739,  and  for  some  time 
previous  to  this  date,  negotiations  had  been  conducted 

1.  Poems  of  John  Byrom,  Vol.  i,  p.  94. 

2.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  277. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  67 

between  Byrom  and  many  of  his  friends,  in  which  David 
Hartley,  the  metaphysician,  took  a  prominent  part,  but 
for  our  purpose  the  following  letter  from  Deacon  will 
most  deserve  attention.^ 

"  24th  May,   1737. 
**  Much  honoured  Grand  Master, 

I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that  your  Shorthand 
majesty  is  resolved  to  show  yourself  to  the  world  and 
no  longer  to  keep  up  the  state  of  an  Eastern  Monarch. 
And  since  you  are  pleased  to  desire  the  advice  of  your 
loving  subjects,  I  humbly  offer  to  your  Highness  that 
you  would  draw  up  separate  lists  of  those  of  your 
subjects  whom  you  may  suppose  to  have  the  most 
influence  and  authority,  and  have  their  names  printed 
at  the  bottom  of  the  certificate  you  sent  from  London  : 
so  that  I  would  have  a  certificate  of  the  properest 
names  for  London,  another  for  the  Universities, 
together  or  separate,  and  another  for  the  North 
country.  For  if  all  your  recommenders  should  be  put 
together,  behold  the  number  !  Who  would  read  them  ? 
Besides,  who  will  mind  the  names  that  they  know 
nothing  of  ?  And  who  can  tell  but  the  paltry  one  of 
Deacon  may  do  more  execution  in  Lancashire  than 
the  great  one  of  Hoadley  (sic)  ?  You  understand  my 
meaning  and  therefore  think  about  it.'* 

Deacon  then  proceeds  to  discuss  various  descriptions 
of  type  for  the  printing  of  shorthand,  which  shows  that 
he  had  some  amount  of  technical  knowledge  of  the 
subject,  and  concludes : 

"  But  I  only  hint  these  things  to  your  Majesty's 
deliberate  consideration  and  sublime  judgment,  and 
desire  that  with  an  account  of  your  proceedings  you 
will  dignify  the  person  and  exhilarate  the  heart  of 
your  Majesty's  humble  deputy  and  dutiful  Warden, 

T.  D." 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  170. 


68 


THOMAS   DEACON 


The  list  of  Byrom's  **  recommenders  '*  which  was 
eventually  published  is  well  worth  reading.  It  contains 
the  names  of  the  Rev.  T.  Cattell,  Fellow  of  Manchester; 
the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Clayton,  Curate  of  Salford;  Joseph 
Clowes,  Esq.;  Doctor  Thomas  Deacon,  of  Manchester; 
Lord  Delawarr;  Dr.  D.  Hartley;  Sir  Darcy  Lever, 
LL.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Charles  Wesley,  whose  name 
is  not  in  the  popular  mind  usually  associated  with 
shorthand.  A  letter  from  Charles  Wesley  to  John 
Byrom  on  this  subject  may  perhaps  close  this  brief 
description  of  Byrom's  system  of  shorthand.  It  is  dated 
25th  September,  1737,  and  is  written  in  cypher. 


"An  uninterrupted  hurry  has  prevented  my  writing 
sooner.  I  am  forced  to  borrow  a  piece  of  Sunday. 
Next  week  I  return  to  Oxford  and  will  then  find  time 
to  look  about  for  subscribers.  Between  20  and  30 
have  given  in  their  names.  The  printing  your 
proposals  would  bring  in  great  numbers  and  give  me 
an  opportunity  of  trying  my  interest  before  I  leave 
England.  Dr.  Richardson  (Master  of  Emmanuel), 
and  others  of  your  Cambridge  friends  take  it  a  little 
ill  that  they  hear  nothing  of  the  proposal  from  you. 
People,  I  much  believe,  would  come  generally  into  it, 
was  there  any  time,  however  distant,  mentioned, 
wherein  the  thing  would  probably  be  published.  You 
will  pardon  my  troubling  you  with  my  impertinent 
memoranda — My  very  humble  services  to  all  friends 
in  Manchester,  Mr.  Clayton  in  particular — I  have  only 
time  to  desire  your  prayers  for  your  obliged  and 
affectionate — 

Charles  Westley.'*^ 

1.  Many  interesting  notes  could  be  made  on  this  letter,  but  a  few 
lines  must  suffice.  In  the  first  place,  I  greatly  suspect  the  spelling  of 
the  name  of  "Wesley'  with  a  "t."  So  far  as  I  know,  this  spelling 
was  never  adopted  by  either  John  or  Charles  Wesley,  although  it  was 
frequently  used  by  their  friends.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the 
letter  was  written  in  shorthand,  and  the  error  may  have  been  made  by 
the  transcriber.     The  allusion  to  the  departure  from  England  refers  to 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  69 

In  1742  Byrom  obtained  an  Act  of  Parliament 
assigning  to  him  the  sole  right  of  publishing  his 
method  for  a  period  of  21  years,  but  as  he  succeeded  to 
his  family  estates  in  1740  the  necessity  for  advertising 
the  system  had  disappeared. 

We  now  turn  to  the  consideration  of  Deacon's  perso- 
nal relations  with  the  Clergy  of  Manchester,  concerning 
which  information  in  Byrom's  Journal  is  by  no  means 
lacking.  Mention  has  already  been  made  of  a  bitter 
dispute  which  arose  on  the  nomination  of  Samuel  Peploe 
to  the  Wardenship  of  Manchester  in  17 18.  Samuel 
Peploe  (1668 — 1752),  the  life-long  opponent  of  Deacon 
and  Byrom,  was  Vicar  of  Preston  in  17 15,  and  is  said 
to  have  earned  the  special  approbation  of  George  I.  for 
continuing  to  pray  ''for  the  Hanoverian  usurper"  in 
spite  of  the  threats  of  the  rebels.  George  I.  is  reported 
to  have  said,  ' '  Peeplow  is  he  called  ?  but  he  shall  peep 
high,  I  will  make  him  a  bishop."  This  is  one  of  those 
stories  which  ought  to  be  true,  but  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  the  acquaintance  of  George  I.  with  the  English 
language  was  such  as  to  enable  him  to  make  bad  jokes 
in  it.  Peploe's  advancement  however  was  not  long  in 
coming.  On  his  nomination  to  Manchester  he  obtained 
from  Archbishop  Wake  the  degree  of  B.D.,  which  was 
required  by  the  Statutes.  Bishop  Gastrell  declined  to 
confirm  the  appointment,  really  on  political  grounds, 
but  nominally  on  the  ground  that  Lambeth  Degrees 
were  not  equal  to  those  obtained  from  the  Universities 
and  were  not  contemplated  by  the  Statutes.  The  matter 
was  carried  to  the  King's  Bench  where  the  power  of  the 
Archbishop  to   grant  degrees  was  acknowledged,   and 

Charles  Wesley's  intended  return  to  Georgia,  which  did  not,  however,  take 
place.  As  to  Wesley's  connection  with  Byrom's  shorthand,  the  following 
quotation  from  the  new  edition  of  John  Wesley's  "  Journal "  (Cumock, 
London,  1909),  introduction,  p.  4,  note,  may  be  of  interest : — "  Charles 
Wesley  was  an  expert  writer  of  Byrom's  shorthand.  In  Georgia  he 
insisted  on  his  brother's  adoption  of  the  system  as  a  protection  against 
unscrupulous  tamperers  with  their  correspondence." 

A  full  account  of  John  Wesley's  curious  "cypher"  is  to  be  found  on 
p.   71  of  the  same  work. 


70  THOMAS  DEACON 

Peploe  was  duly  installed  in  Manchester.  He  was, 
however,  for  the  time  being  quite  helpless  as  his 
colleagues  and  the  Episcopal  Visitor  were  his  bitter  and 
determined  opponents.  Roger  Bolton  (appointed  1699 
— 1700),  Robert  Assheton  (1703-4),  and  John  Copley 
(1708),  Fellows  of  the  Collegiate  Church  at  this  date, 
were  all  bitterly  hostile  to  Peploe's  ecclesiastical  and 
political  views.  Bolton  held  the  curacy  of  Gorton,  in 
which  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  W.  Burkitt,  who 
held  similar  principles.  Robert  Assheton  came  of  the 
branch  of  that  family  which  had  been  long  settled  in 
Salford,  and  a  further  acrimonious  dispute  arose  in 
connection  with  his  son,  Richard  Assheton,  who  was 
afterwards  Fellow.  John  Copley,  of  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge,  had  been  of  some  assistance  to  Byrom  in 
his  undergraduate  days,  and  was  perhaps  the  strongest 
personal  opponent  of  Peploe.  The  epithet  which  he  is 
said  to  have  habitually  applied  to  "that  Warden"  may 
perhaps  be  imagined  but  left  unwritten. 

During  the  dispute  concerning  the  Wardenship  the 
Rev.  Richard  Assheton  had  been  appointed  by  Bishop 
Gastrell  to  act  as  Chaplain  of  the  Collegiate  Church, 
and  had  served  in  the  office  for  some  years.  But  in 
November,  1725,  Gastrell  died  and  it  may  be  imagined 
that  there  would  be  considerable  dismay  in  Manchester 
when  it  was  known  that  the  new  Bishop  was  to  be  no 
other  than  Samuel  Peploe.  Thomas  Hearne  expresses 
the  opinion  "that  this  was  done  to  insult  the  ashes  of 
Bishop  Gastrell,*'  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this 
opinion  was  generally  endorsed  in  Manchester.  Byrom 
writes  on  January  i8th,  1726:  "Writ  to  Mrs.  Byrom 
that  Mr.  Peplo  was  chosen  Bishop."  The  letter  read 
as  follows:  "Mr.  Peplo  kist  his  Majesty's  fist  for  the 
Bishopric  of  Chester  and  Wardenship  of  Manchester  on 
Sunday.  .  .  .  This  piece  of  news  will  I  suppose  raise 
much  speculation  in  our  country."^     It  certainly  did. 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  192. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE 


71 


Peploe,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Chapter,  endeavoured  to 
dispense  with  Richard  Assheton  and  to  nominate  a  Mr. 
Whittaker.  The  Chapter  however  declined  to  agree. 
This  matter  also  was  carried  to  the  King's  Bench,  and 
in  the  end  Mr.  Assheton 's  case  was  upheld  as  against 
the  bishop. 

It  does  not  appear,  at  first  sight,  that  Deacon  had  any 
particuluar  right  to  interfere  in  this  dispute  which  was 
concerned  with  the  discipline  of  a  Church  whose  com- 
munion he  had  renounced.  The  fact  is,  however,  that 
the  Fellows  of  Manchester,  although  they  might  differ 
from  Deacon  with  regard  to  some  of  his  extreme  theories, 
were  quite  conscious  that  in  Bishop  Peploe  they  and 
Deacon  had  a  common  enemy,  and  in  the  contest  which 
took  place  Deacon  certainly  lent  the  Chapter  some 
valuable  assistance.  There  are  two  letters  of  his  extant 
written  to  Byrom  in  this  connection,  and  as  they  may 
be  of  some  interest  from  more  points  of  view  than  one, 
I  append  them  in  this  place. 

The  first  is  dated  6th  December,  1726.  It  is  much  too 
long  to  quote  in  full,  but  some  extracts  may  be  given. 

**  Dear  Grand  Master, 

I  should  have  written  to  you  before  but  Mr.  Cattell 
scribbled  last  week  and  gave  you  some  account  of 
matters.  I  thank  you  for  all  your  wit,  nonsense, 
trumpery  information,  etc.  In  reply  you  must  expect 
nothing  but  plain  downright  Lancashire  stuff  from 
me.'' 


Then  follows  a  description  of  the  Bishop  suspending 
Mr.  Assheton  for  preaching  without  a  license.  **  But 
a  petition  was  drawn  up,  signed  by  the  Borough-Reeve, 
Church-wardens,  and  many  inhabitants  and  presented 
last  Saturday,  to  which  the  Bishop  said  he  would 
consider  of  it  for  some  days.  Yesterday  he  sent  word 
to  the  old  Church  that  he  would  go  there  to-day  (for  it 


72 


THOMAS  DEACON 


is  above  a  fortnight  since  he  was  there),  and  answer 
the  petition,  which  accordingly  he  did  by  tearing  it  in 
pieces,  and  saying  it  was  signed  by  non-jurors,  (though 
neither  I,  as  you  imagine,  nor  I  believe  any  other  had 
anything  to  do  with  it)  scoundrels  and  people  that  have 
no  families — I  doubt  not  but  the  King's  Bench  will 
demolish  Pope  Hildebrand  Firebrand,  and  we  will  blow 
him  up,  mortify  him  and  break  his  heart.*' 

The  letter  concludes  with  an  account  of  the  Bishop's 
formal  answer  delivered  from  his  stall,  the  concluding 
words  of  which  may  be  quoted.  "And  whereas  the 
petition  desired  him  to  heal  the  bleeding  wounds  of  the 
Church,  he  was  surprised  at  it,  for  who  had  been  the 
cause  of  them  ?  That  he  was  ready  to  do  anything  to 
heal  them — bleeding  wounds  indeed  !  But  they  are 
owing  to  the  wicked  lives  of  many  who  profess  them- 
selves members  of  this  Church,  and  to  the  scandalous 
lives  of  some  of  the  Clergy,  at  which  word  he  stared  at 
Mr.  Copley."  1 

The  second  letter,  unlike  all  others  quoted  in  this 
work,  is  not  to  be  found  in  Byrom's  "Remains"  but 
is  taken  from  Raines'  "  Fellows  of  Manchester."  It 
is  dated  21st  December,   1726. 

**  Dear  Grand  Master, 

By  this  post  there  will  go  to  Sir  John  Bland^  in 
Golden  Square,  a  p>etition  to  the  Archbishop  of  York 
that  Mr.  Assheton  may  be  restored,  together  with  a 
certificate  signed  by  the  gentry,  clergy,  and  inhabit- 
ants of  this  place  and  neighbourhood.  Now  you  are 
desired  to  be  one  of  the  presenters,  being  a  Manchester 
man,  that  if  the  Archbishop  should  make  any  enquiry 
you  may  give  him  some  account  of  the  affair.  In 
order  to  this  you  are  to  go  to  Mr.  Harbin,  a  non-juring 


1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  234. 

2.  M.P.  for  the  County  of  Lancaster. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE 


73 


clergyman  and  brother-in-law  with  Mr.  Copley,  to 
consult  with  him,  who  is  preacquainted  that  you  will 
come  to  him,  that  it  may  be  presented  as  soon  as 
possible.  He  lives  over  against  Mr.  Foubert's 
Academy  in  King  Street,  near  Golden  Square.  You 
are  desired  to  go  to  him  forthwith.  He  is  a  learned 
man,  and  of  great  acquaintance,  and  I  believe  you  will 
be  glad  when  you  know  him  upon  other  accounts. 
You  may  if  you  will  make  use  of  my  name  to  him  for 
I  believe  he  has  not  forgotten  me.'* 


George  Harbin,  of  Emmanuel  College,  Cambridge, 
was  indeed  a  *'  learned  man."  He  was  Chaplain  to 
Bishop  Turner  of  Ely,  following  the  same  course  as 
Turner  in  refusing  to  take  the  oaths.  He  afterwards 
became  Librarian  to  Viscount  Weymouth  and  was  an 
intimate  friend  of  Bishop  Ken.  In  "  Notes  and 
Queries,"  Series  2,  Vol.  I.,  page  489,  there  is  to  be 
found  an  account  of  a  memorandum  written  by  Harbin 
relative  to  an  early  missal  which  contains  pictures  of 
Richard  Scrope,  Archbishop  of  York,  and  references  to 
his  canonisation.  Harbin  is  also  referred  to  in  Wood's 
**  Life  and  Times,"  page  490,  September  25th,  1695. 
*'  Dined  with  Dr.  [Arthur]  Charles,  [Henry]  Gandy, 
[Thomas]  Creech,  and  one  Harbin  a  clergyman,  and  a 
Cambridge  man  by  education,  sometime  Chaplain  to 
Dr.  Francis  Turner,  Bishop  of  Ely,  but  a  non-juror  and 
in  a  lay  habit." 

The  petition  was  received  by  the  Archbishop  and 
marked  by  him  "ample  testimony  to  the  good  behaviur, 
etc.,  of  Mr.  Assheton."  The  incident  closed  as  noted 
above :  Mr.  Assheton 's  appointment  being  duly  con- 
firmed by  Bishop  Peploe  acting  as  Warden. 

Bishop  Peploe's  visitorial  powers  over  the  Church  of 
Manchester  were  the  subject  of  yet  another  dispute.  It 
was  contended  with  some  reason  that  Peploe  as  Bishop 
could  not  act  as  visitor  to  Peploe  as  Warden,  and  finally 


74 


THOMAS  DEACON 


the  Crown  was  held  to  be  the  Visitor  so  long  as  the 
two  offices  were  held  together. 

The  effect  of  this  decision  was  to  make  the  Bishop's 
position,  for  the  time  being,  one  of  isolation  and  help- 
lessness, but  in  1744  when  Peploe  resigned  the  Warden- 
ship  in  favour  of  his  son,  he  was  able  to  conduct  a  very 
severe  visitation  of  the  College  of  Manchester.  It 
should  be  said  in  justice  to  Bishop  Peploe's  memory 
that  there  is  another  side  to  his  character,  which  is 
naturally  not  presented  to  us  by  Deacon  and  Byrom. 
Peploe  was  generally  regarded  as  kindly  and  tolerant, 
but  his  position  must  have  been  exceedingly  difficult. 
Walpole's  policy  of  staffing  the  Church  with  Whig  and 
Erastian  Bishops  was  now  in  full  swing,  and  Peploe, 
sent  down  into  what  was  to  a  marked  extent  a  hot  bed 
of  Toryism  and  a  somewhat  extreme  form  of  Jacobitism, 
had  before  him  a  task,  the  difficulties  of  which  cannot 
easily  be  exaggerated. 

No  account  of  Deacon's  social  life  would  be  complete 
which  did  not  include  some  reference  to  the  happy 
gatherings  of  friends  at  the  Chetham  Library,  of  which 
we  have  a  few  accounts  in  Byrom 's  **  Remains,"  and 
which  are  of  great  interest  to  any  Manchester  man  who 
has  made  use  of  the  noble  foundation  of  Humphrey 
Chetham.  A  few  quotations  must  suffice.  On  July 
15th,  1736,  Byrom  reports^  that  he  had  gone  to  the 
"  meeting  at  the  College  and  found  Hoole,  Banne, 
Clayton,  Thyer,  and  Crouchley  there."  The  subject 
for  discussion  was  'It  is  his  angel,'  but  Dr.  Deacon, 
who  gave  it,  was  not  present,  being  concerned  in  two 
cases  of  smallpox.  It  would  appear  that  subjects  for 
discussion  were  selected  by  the  friends  in  turn,  and  that 
Deacon's  choice  for  this  particular  occasion  is  given 
above.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  presence  of  Banne 
and  Hoole,  the  first  and  second  Rectors  of  St.  Ann's, 


1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.   ii,  p.   60. 


DEACON^S    SOCIAL    LIFE 


75 


but  a  fuller  account  must  be  given  of  another  member 
of  this  company. 

John  Clayton,  the  son  of  William  Clayton,  bookseller, 
of  Manchester,  was  baptized  on  nth  October,  1709,  and 
educated  at  the  Manchester  Grammar  School  from 
which  he  proceeded  to  Brasenose  College,  Oxford, 
where  he  took  the  M.A.  degree  in  1732.  On  December 
29th  of  the  same  year  he  was  ordained  deacon  and 
received  the  title  to  Sacred  Trinity  Chapel,  Salford, 
which  he  served  as  Assistant  Curate  and  Incumbent  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life.^  Clayton  was  one  of  the 
original  Oxford  Methodists  and  is  said  to  have  been 
instrumental  in  persuading  the  Wesleys  to  observe  the 
Wednesday  and  Friday  Fasts.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  Thomas  Deacon  was  in  very  close  touch  with 
Clayton  during  his  time  at  Oxford,  and  in  this  way 
some  sort  of  connection  was  established  between  Deacon 
and  the  Wesleys.  The  Rev.  L.  Tyerman  records  in  his 
**  Oxford  Methodists  "  several  letters  which  passed 
between  Deacon  and  Clayton,  from  which  it  is  plain 
that  Deacon's  influence  over  Clayton  was  of  a  very 
powerful  description.  I  make  here  a  quotation  from  one 
letter  written  in  the  year  1733  by  Clayton  to  John 
Wesley.     No  day  or  month  is  given. 


"Dr.  Deacon  gives  his  humble  service  to  you  and 
lets  you  know  that  the  worship  and  discipline  of  the 
primitive  Christians  have  taken  up  so  much  of  his 
time  that  he  has  never  read  the  Fathers  with  a 
particular  view  to  their  moral  doctrines,  and  therefore 
cannot  furnish  you  with  the  testimonies  you  want  out 

1.  The  Chapel  of  the  Sacred  Trinity,  Salford,  was  built  in  1635  by- 
Humphrey  Booth,  "  remembering  that  I  brought  nothing  with  me  into 
this  world,  and  finding  that  God  has  intrusted  me  with  more  of  this 
world's  goods  than  He  hath  done  many  other  men."  The  Chapel  was 
almost  entirely  rebuilt  in  1752 ;  it  was  for  many  generations  a  chapel  of 
ease  to  the  Collegiate  Church  and  had  no  assigned  district  until  1819, 
when  it  became  a  district  chapelry.  In  1850  it  was  constituted  a 
separate  parish   and  rectory. 


76  THOMAS   DEACON 

of  his  collection.  I  was  at  Dr.  Deacon's  when  your 
letter  came  to  hand,  and  we  had  a  deal  of  talk  about 
your  scheme  of  avowing  yourselves  a  Society  and 
fixing  upon  a  set  of  rules.  The  Doctor  seemed  to 
think  that  you  had  better  let  it  alone,  for  to  what  end 
would  it  serve  ?  My  best  respects  attend  your 
brother.*'! 

Mr.  Tyerman  was  no  admirer  of  Deacon  nor  indeed 
of  Clayton  in  his  later  developments,  but  he  freely 
concedes  the  learning  of  the  one,  and  the  piety  of  the 
other.  I  have  inserted  in  my  notice  of  Deacon's 
"  Compleat  Devotions  "  another  letter  of  Clayton's 
taken  from  Mr.  Tyerman 's  book,  see  page  173. 

Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  has  something  to  say  as  to 
Deacon's  influence  over  Clayton  :  he  describes  Deacon 
as  "Clayton's  Master."  Canon  Overton  also  follows 
much  the  same  line,  and  couples  together  Trinity 
Chapel,  Salford,  and  Dr.  Deacon's  Chapel  in  Fennel 
Street  as  the  two  non-juring  places  of  worship  in 
Manchester.  I  think  this  statement  is  somewhat 
exaggerated,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Deacon's 
friendship  with  Clayton  was  of  a  far  more  intimate 
character  than  that  which  he  shared  with  any  other  of 
the  Clergy  of  Manchester. 

It  is  perhaps  well  to  point  out  that  in  this  same  year 
1733  John  Wesley  twice  visited  Manchester.  In  May 
and  June  he  was  in  the  town  and  on  the  3rd  of  the  latter 
month  he  preached  at  the  old  Church  and  at  the  Chapel 
in  Salford.  It  is  not  too  much  to  suppose  that  Deacon 
would  be  brought  during  these  visits  into  personal 
intimacy  with  John  Wesley  through  the  mediation  of 
John  Clayton. 

One  word  must  be  said  concerning  another  member 
of  the  company  which  was  accustomed  to  assemble  at 
Chetham  College.     Robert  Thyer  (1709 — 1781)  was  an 

1.  Tyerman's  "  Oxford  Methodists,"  p.  34. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  77 

undergraduate  at  Oxford  in  Clayton's  time,  and  was  the 
most  intimate  friend  of  Byrom,  Deacon,  and  Clayton. 
He  was  Librarian  of  the  College  Library  from  February, 
i7|Jt  to  October  3rd,    1763. 

Here  is  a  further  interesting  notice  of  the  "meeting 
at  the  College^  where  were  Mr.  Hall,  Clayton,  Deacon, 
Houghton,  from  Kersall,  where  he  had  been  and  the 
question  was  about  Abraham  and  Hagar,  Mr.  Thyer 
very  positive  about  it  being  wrong,  and  I  more  so  about 
it  being  right,  his  quotation  from  St.  Ambrose  which 
proved  to  be  the  objection  of  a  wicked  man." 

We  may  fitly  describe  these  meetings  at  the  Library 
by  a  quotation  from  a  letter  written  by  Robert  Thyer  to 
John  Byrom  on  nth  March,  1738,  or  more  correctly  a 
quotation  from  St.  Augustine's  Confessions  introduced 
by  Thyer  in  that  letter. ^ 

The  letter  gives  a  fanciful  sketch  of  what  Thyer 
conceived  Byrom's  daily  life  in  London  to  be,  and 
concludes  with  a  suggestion  that  Byrom  must  often  wish 
that  he  could  take  a  run  over  to  the  Library  :  **  Colloqui 
et  corridere,  et  vicissim  benevole  obsequi :  simul  legere 
libros  dulciloquos  simul  nugari  et  simul  honestari, 
dissentire  sine  odiis,  atque  ipsa  rarissima  dissensione 
condire  consensiones  plurimas  :  docere  aliquid  invicem, 
aut  discere  aliquid  ab  invicem." 

This  very  apt  quotation  may  be  regarded  as  a 
suitable  close  for  our  short  sketch  of  these  happy 
gatherings.  "  Dissentire  sine  odiis,"  would  certainly 
be  a  suitable  motto  in  a  company  of  which  Thomas 
Deacon  was  a  member,  but  it  is  seemly  that  portraits  of 
both  Deacon  and  Thyer  should  adorn  the  walls  of  the 
present  reading  room  of  the  Library  which  they  both 
loved  so  well. 

Lastly,  we  must  say  something  of  Deacon  in  his 
family  relationships.     The  number  of  his  children  was 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  75. 

2.  lUd.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  198. 


78 


THOMAS  DEACON 


very  large,  not  less  than  twelve  or  thirteen.  I  have 
elsewhere  noted  the  names  of  all  those  who  can  be 
traced.  Deacon  first  mentions  his  children  in  a  letter 
to  John  Byrom,  datetd  20th  February,  17^,  to  which 
some  further  reference  is  made  in  Appendix  A. 
**  Sir,  if  you  would  see  a  raree  show  come  down 
to  your  children  and  mine.'*^  At  this  date  Deacon 
would  have  at  least  three  children,  Thomas  Theodorus, 
Robert  Renatus,  and  Charles  Clement,  of  all  of  whom 
in  one  way  or  another  their  father  was  bereaved  in  the 
troubles  of  the  '45.  These  three  lads  are  mentioned  ten 
years  later  in  a  letter  written  by  Byrom  to  his  wife  on 
4th  August,  1739-^ 

Mrs.  Deacon  had  come  up  to  London  with  four  of 
her  children.  **She  is  a  little  concerned  that  she  cannot 
probably  dispatch  her  errand  so  soon  as  she  would, 
wanting  to  be  at  home  again.  As  I  knew  of  such  wants 
I  comforted  her  as  well  as  I  could :  but  'tis  not  easy  to 
remove  a  concern  of  that  nature,  it  must  be  endured, 
when  it  can't  be  cured.  I  wish  her  success  with  her 
little  girl  *  who  favoured  me  with  her  company  as  if  she 
had  known  her  countryman,  being  more  shy  to  the 
Londoners :  poor  girl,  she  is  afraid  of  parting  from 
her  mamma  in  a  strange  place,  and  sticks  by  her  close. 
The  three  fine  boys  are  not  so  young  and  are  glad  to 
ride  about  with  their  grandfather  and  look  about  them 
a  little." 

Nine  days  later  Byrom  refers  to  Mrs.  Deacon  having 
to  postpone  her  departure,  ''Bobby  having  been  ill."  ^ 
and  a  few  days  later  again  "  Master  Thor.  had  hurt  his 
hand  against  a  glass  window  and  cut  it  so  that  he 
cannot  use  it  at  present,  but  'tis  hoped  will  mend  finely, 


1.  See  p.  151. 

2.  Byrom's  "  Eeraains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  429. 

3.  Ihid.y  Vol.  ii,  p.  260. 

4.  "The    little  girl"    was    Sarah    Sophia    Deacon,    who    afterwards 
married  William  Cartwright  (see  p.  151 ). 

6.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  264. 


DEACON'S    SOCIAL    LIFE  79 

but  whether  by  Tuesday  so  as  to  hold  his  bridle  is  a 
question."  ^ 

Passing  on  five  years  later,  when  the  two  eldest  lads 
may  be  said  to  have  grown  up,  we  find  among  the  list 
of  subscribers  to  the  Manchester  Concerts  of  1744  the 
names  of  Mr.  T.  T.  Deacon  and  Mr.  R.  R.  Deacon  : 
the  names  of  the  Stewards  of  the  Concerts  for  that  year 
are  Rev.  Mr.  Clayton,  Dr.  Walker,  Mr.  Penlington, 
and   Mr.   James   Massey.^ 

As  we  now  practically  close  the  account  of  Deacon's 
family  and  social  relationships,  we  may  here  state  that 
Mrs.  Deacon  died  on  the  4th  July,  1745.  Her  name  is 
inscribed  with  that  of  her  husband  on  the  tombstone  at 
St.  Ann's,  but  no  record  of  her  burial  is  to  be  found  in 
the  register.*  I  confess  that  I  find  this  fact  very 
difficult  of  explanation.  In  view  of  the  calamities  which 
were  impending,  it  may  be  said  that  "she  was  taken 
away  from  the  troubles  to  come.*' 

In  bringing  this  somewhat  discursive  chapter  to  a 
close,  it  may  be  necessary  to  point  out  the  object  which 
I  have  had  in  view  throughout,  viz.,  to  present  some 
account  of  Thomas  Deacon,  not  as  a  theologian  or 
controversialist,  but  simply  as  a  man  living  with  his 
family  and  among  his  friends,  and  I  may  be  permitted 
to  hope  that  the  story  which  has  been  given  in  this 
chapter  may  serve  as  a  corrective  to  the  conception  of 
Deacon's  character  which  would  be  drawn  from  a 
consideration  of  his  writings  alone.  Fortunately  we 
have  in  Byrom's  Journal  another,  and  perhaps,  a  truer 
view  of  the  man. 


1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  276. 

2.  Harland's  Manchester  "  Collectanea,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  66, 

3.  It  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  the  entry  might  possibly  be  found 
in  the  registers  of  the  Old  Church,  but  this  is  not  the  case. 


8i 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Deacon's  Medical  Career. 

The  title  of  "Doctor"  appears  to  have  been  given  to 
Thomas  Deacon  from  the  commencement  of  his  career 
in  Manchester,  but  he  certainly  held  no  degree,  and 
there  is  no  trace  that  he  possessed  any  other  qualifica- 
tion. A  certain  difficulty  arises  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  College  of  Physicians  had  at  that  time  power  to 
stop  all  unlicensed  practice,  but  this  power  was  not 
always  rigidly  exercised.  Mention  has  already  been 
made  of  the  case  of  Thomas  Wagstaffe  (consecrated  at 
the  same  time  as  George  Hickes,  see  page  4),  who  was 
allowed  to  practise  in  London  for  many  years.  Whether 
any  tacit  permission  was  accorded  to  Deacon  or  not,  we 
have  at  the  present  time  no  means  of  ascertaining,  but 
it  may  be  remembered  that  Deacon  enjoyed  the  confid- 
ence and  friendship  of  Dr.  Mead,  who  was  then 
approaching  the  zenith  of  his  career,  and  may  possibly 
have  given  to  Deacon  some  kind  of  recommendation  on 
his  departure  to  Manchester.  Josiah  Owen,  in  "Dr. 
Deacon  Try'd,"  distinctly  states  that  this  was  the  case 
(see  page  200). 

There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  Deacon's  statement  that 
he  entered  upon  the  medical  profession  "  under  the 
particular  direction  and  with  the  kind  assistance"  of 
Dr.  Mead  (see  page  196).  Deacon  may  very  possibly 
have  been  regarded  as  an  "apprentice"  of  Dr.  Mead, 
and  this  in  itself  would  be  no  mean  qualification.  We 
know  nothing  of  Deacon's  medical  practice  for  the  first 
few  years  of  his  life  in  Manchester,  and  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  ascertain  the  earliest  information  on  this 

H 


as  THOMAS   DEACON 

subject  is  to  be  found  in  Byrom's  Journal  for  the  year 
1726. 

In  that  year  Byrom  has  much  to  say  in  his  Journal 
concerning  smallpox  and  inoculation,  the  precursor  of 
the  system  of  vaccination  discovered  by  Jenner  at  the 
end  of  the  century,  and  on  nth  February,  1726,  he 
writes  the  following  letter  to  Deacon  : — 

'*  Dear  Doctor: 

How  do  you  do?  I  thought  to  have  writ  to  you  in 
shorthand,  but  having  a  question  to  ask  you  that  may 
require  a  longhand  answer  I  refer  it  to  my  next :  it  is 
to  enquire  whether  you  pursued  your  design  of  being 
inoculated.  You  said  nothing  of  it  to  me  when  I  said 
farewell,  like  a  sly  rogue  as  you  were :  but  Mrs. 
Deacon's  concern  did  not  permit  her  to  be  silent.  I 
kept  the  secret,  which  I  suppose  is  none  by  this  time  : 
but  meeting  my  friend  Dr.  Jurin,  who  I  know  has  taken 
the  trouble  of  informing  the  public  of  the  success  of 
that  practice  upon  him,  I  told  him  there  was  a  gentleman 
of  the  profession  in  our  town  had  determined  to  try  the 
experiment  upon  himself,  upon  which  he  told  me  he 
should  be  obliged  if  1  would  let  him  know  the  particulars 
of  that  experiment,  which  accordingly  I  promised  to  ask 
you  after,  which  I  do  by  the  present,  requesting  you  to 
acquaint  us  how  it  succeeded  with  you,  your  opinion 
thereof,  and  such  particulars  as  you  think  fit  to  acquaint 
us  with.  Another  question  I  must  ask  you  and  that  is 
whether  your  friend  Mr.  Jebb  is  in  town  and  where  one 
may  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  ?  "  ^ 

James  Jurin  (1684 — 1750),  of  Trinity  College,  Cam- 
bridge, Fellow  of  the  College  of  Physicians  in  17 19  and 
President  for  a  few  months  immediately  before  his  death 
in  1750,  was  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  the  day. 
He  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  practice  of  inoculation 
and  published  many  works  on  the  subject. 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  202. 


DEACON'S  MEDICAL  CAREER  83 

Samuel  Jebb,  born  at  Mansfield  about  the  year  1694, 
was  a  sizar  of  Peterhouse  and  intended  for  Holy  Orders, 
but  came  under  the  influence  of  the  non-jurors  and  after- 
wards became  Librarian  to  Jeremy  Collier.  On  the 
advice  and  partly  by  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Mead,  Jebb 
commenced  to  study  medicine  and  eventually  settled  as 
a  physician  at  Stratford-le-Bow.  It  will  be  seen  that 
Jebb's  association  with  Collier  and  Mead,  both  of  them 
friends  and  benefactors  of  Deacon,  would  to  some  extent 
account  for  the  friendship  which  existed  between  them. 
A  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Brett  to  Jebb  on 
February  24th,  17^°,  is  recorded  in  the  Deacon  MSS. 
referred  to  on  page  26.  On  the  i8th  February,  17^, 
Byrom  states  that  at  "Bridge's  auction"  Mr.  Jebb  told 
him  that  he  had  heard  from  Dr.  Deacon  but  did  not 
know  that  he  was  inoculated.  On  February  23rd  Mr. 
Jebb  called  to  see  Byrom  and  a  very  provokingly  brief 
account  is  given  of  his  conversation.  He  said  "  that 
Dr.  Mead  was  a  great  Whig,  Dr.  Friend  proud  and 
haughty,  the  reverse  of  Dr.  Mead,  we  talked  about  Dr. 
Deacon,  the  Church."^  Jebb  called  again  the  succeed- 
ing day  as  Byrom  records  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  "Mr. 
Jebb  called  on  me  yesterday  noon,  said,  that  Dr.  Deacon 
was  afraid  his  youngest  boy  had  the  smallpox  :  has 
he?  "2 

Deacon  did  not  after  all  undergo  the  process  of  inocu- 
lation. He  wrote  to  Byrom  on  February  25th,  stating 
that  Bryan  Robinson's  account  had  persuaded  against 
it,  and  in  the  same  letter,  evidently  referring  to  the 
prevalence  of  smallpox,  he  earnestly  desired  that  Mrs. 
Byrom  would  send  for  him  if  her  children  were  ill, 
immediately.^ 

Bryan  Robinson  (1680 — 1754)  of  Trinity  College. 
Dublin,  Fellow  of  the  King's  and  Queen's  College  of 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  205. 

2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  209. 

3.  Ibid.,  Vol.  i,  pp.  209  and  221. 


84  THOMAS  DEACON 

Physicians  in  Ireland,  and  three  times  President,  pub- 
lished in  1725  an  account  of  the  inoculation  of  five 
children  at  Dublin. 

In  July  1727,  Deacon  left  Manchester  for  a  brief 
period,  and  as  the  reason  of  his  departure  was  the  desire 
and  expectation  of  a  more  successful  medical  career  in 
London,  the  story  of  this  little  known  incident  of  his 
life  may  be  inserted  in  this  place. 

Deacon  mentions  the  matter  in  a  letter  to  Byrom  dated 
24th  June,  1727.^ 

"  His  Lordship  set  out  for  London  on  Wednesday 
last  and  I  am  afraid  honest  Dr.  Deacon  will  shortly 
follow  him  to  the  very  great  loss  and  concern  of  this 
town  and  neighbourhood.  He  has  a  very  advan- 
tageous prospect  at  Stepney  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Cole, 
late  Physician  there.  Pray  make  haste  to  Manchester 
and  help  to  repair  our  loss  of  him  as  well  as  you  can." 

The  half  humorous,  half  sarcastic  way  in  which 
Deacon  refers  to  himself  will  be  noted.  The  journey 
must  have  been  accomplished  very  quickly,  as  Byrom 
writes  to  his  wife  from  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  on 
2nd  July,  stating  that  he  had  just  received  a  letter  from 
Dr.  Deacon  in  London.^  Mrs.  Byrom  had  evidently 
suggested  to  her  husband  that  he  might  supply  Deacon's 
place  in  Manchester,  but  the  idea  did  not  appeal  to 
Byrom  at  all.  It  would  appear  from  a  passage  in 
Byrom 's  letter  that  Deacon's  medical  career  in  Man- 
chester had  not  so  far  been  marked  by  much  success, 
"Truly  as  to  success  the  last  gentleman  (Deacon)  I 
fancy,  and  I  may  appeal  to  himself,  had  the  best  when 
he  had  a  call  elsewhere,  and  when  Manchester  gets  such 
another  they  will  keep  him  as  long  as  he  has  nothing 
else  to  take  to  and  no  longer — I  wish  another  such  as  D. 
may  come  though  we  have  him  but  for  a  season." 

1.  Byrom '»  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  265. 

2.  Ibid.y  Vol.  i,  p.  267. 


DEACON'S  MEDICAL  CAREER  85 

Deacon's  stay  in  London  was  exceedingly  short.  On 
November  27th  of  this  same  year  Byrom  dined  with 
Deacon  at  his  house  in  Stepney,  and  Deacon  then  told 
of  his  resolution  to  go  to  Manchester  again, ^  and  on  the 
succeeding  Sunday  Byrom  with  Jos.  Clowes  took  coach 
from  Temple  Bar  (for  which  they  paid  2/6)  and  again 
dined  with  Deacon.  On  this  occasion  there  were  present 
a  Mr.  Salkeld  and  a  brother  of  Dr.  Deacon,  who  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  by  John  Byrom,  but  of  whom  nothing 
appears  to  be  known.  ^  From  a  note  in  Byrom 's  Journal 
it  would  appear  that  Mrs.  Deacon  had  suffered  very 
severely  from  intermittent  ague.^  On  7th  December  the 
four  friends,  Byrom,  Deacon,  Clowes  and  Salkeld  dined 
together  at  the  Queen's  Head,  and  on  this  occasion 
Deacon  produced  a  "letter  from  Manchester  with  the 
names  of  Mr.  Copley,  Banne,  etc.,  inviting  him  to 
Manchester  where  it  seems  he  was  resolved  to  go  as  soon 
as  possible." 

Jos.  Clowes,  lawyer,  relative  and  intimate  friend  of 
Byrom,  was  styled  by  his  friends,  for  some  unknown 
reason,  **the  Alderman."  His  eldest  son,  Richard,  was 
Fellow  of  the  Collegiate  Church,  and  his  second  son, 
John,  was  the  first  Rector  of  St.  John's,  Deansgate, 
which  was  founded  by  Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  John 
Byrom. 

Mr.  Salkeld  was  probably  descended  from  an  old 
family  of  that  name  in  Northumberland,  who  were  con- 
nected by  marriage  with  the  Byroms  of  Salford. 

It  may  be  surmised  from  the  invitation  received  by 
Deacon  to  return  to  Manchester  that  he  was  undoubtedly 
missed  by  his  friends  in  the  Chapter,  and  that  it  was  not 
merely  his  skill  as  a  physician  that  weighed  with  the 
signatories.     The  invitation  was  speedily  accepted,  and 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"   Vol.  i,  p.  273. 

2.  But  see  the  last  letter   of  T.    T.   Deacon  to   his   father,  p.  120: 
"My  uncle  has  behaved,"  etc. 

3.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  276. 


96 


THOMAS   DEACON 


on  December  22nd,  Byrom  writes,^  "he  called  on  Mrs. 
Deacon  who  said  the  Doctor  was  to  go  on  Monday  down 
to  Manchester,  that  her  little  child  had  been  very  ill, 
that  the  eldest  had  broke  out  most  sadly  and  very  ill, 
yet  she  must  follow  the  Doctor  in  a  week  or  a  fortnight's 
time  :  she  should  remember  Mile  End  as  long  as  she 
lived." 

*  Writing  on  January  i8th  to  his  wife,  Byrom  enquires 
as  to  "how  Dr.  Deacon's  lady  got  down,"  so  that  the 
whole  experiment  at  Stepney  lasted  but  a  few  months 
and  could  scarcely  be  described  as  a  success. 

After  his  return  to  Manchester  it  appears  probable 
that  Deacon  worked  his  way  to  a  considerable  practice. 
He  is  certainly  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  leading 
physicians  of  the  town.  For  instance,  in  the  copy  of 
Byrom's  MSS.,  which  is  referred  to  by  Dr.  Ward  in 
Appendix  5  of  his  Poems  of  John  Byrom,  and  which  is 
not  incorporated  in  the  "Remains"  of  Canon  Parkinson, 
Byrom  records  that  at  the  last  illness  of  his  wife's  mother 
in  1730  he  called  in  first.  Dr.  Mainwaring,  and  after- 
wards Dr.  Deacon.^  These  two  names  are  associated 
on  other  occasions.  Phoebe  Byrom,  the  youngest  and 
favourite  sister  of  John  Byrom,  whose  name  was  chosen 
by  her  brother  for  the  heroine  of  his  famous  Pastoral 
"My  time,  O  Ye  Muses,"*  writes  from  Bath  on  17th 
May,  1 73 1,  concerning  the  health  of  Mrs.  Egerton  of 
Tatton  Park,  "it  seems  Drs.  Deacon  and  Mainwaring 
sent  her  here."  ^ 

Dr.  Mainwaring  was  not  only  of  considerable  repute 
as  a  physician,  but  was  also  very  highly  connected  by 
marriage,  his  wife  being  the  younger  daughter  of  Robert 
Malyn,  M.D.,  and  Katherine  Massey,  daughter  of 
Richard  Massey  of  Sale  Hall.     The  fact  that  Deacon 

1.  Byrom's  "Kemains,"  Vol.   i,  p.   283. 

2.  Ihid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  290. 

3.  "Poems  of  John  Byrom,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  603. 

4.  Ihid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  5. 

5.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  505. 


DEACON'S   MEDICAL  CAREER  87 

was  mentioned  as  evidently  of  equal  standing  with  men 
of  the  position  of  Peter  Mainwaring  is  sufficient  testi- 
mony to  the  high  reputation  in  which  he  was  held  by 
some  of  the  most  influential  families  of  the  district.  A 
note  of  Byrom  under  the  date  of  15th  July,  1736 
(already  in  part  referred  to),  contains  a  mention  not 
only  of  the  Egerton  family,  of  which  Phoebe  Byrom 
writes,  but  of  another  famous  Manchester  family,  the 
Levers  of  Alkrington,  who  were  exceedingly  good 
friends  to  Deacon  through  the  troubles  of  the  '45. 
Deacon  should  have  opened  the  debate  at  the  College 
as  mentioned  on  page  74,  "  but  was  not  there,  being 
gone  to  Trafford  and  come  from  Alkrington,  and  Master 
Ashton  Lever,  he  told  me  yesterday,  was  like  to  do  well, 
being  past  the  height  of  the  smallpox,  and  young 
Egerton  who  had  been  very  ill  and  both  of  them  of  the 
confluent  kind."  Seven  days  later,  "Dr.  Lever  came  to 
the  Sessions,  I  went  with  him  to  the  Bull's  Head,  he 
said  his  children  were  all  like  to  do  well,  the  younger 
having  a  favourable  smallpox  and  the  eldest  has  had  a 
bad  sort,  and  that  Dr.  Deacon  said  they  should  have 
different  names  for  such  different  distempers."  ^ 

Darcy  Lever,  of  Alkrington,  LL.D.,  was  knighted  in 
December  1736,  and  was  High  Sheriff  of  Lancashire  for 
the  year  173^.  He  appointed  John  Clayton  as  his 
Chaplain,  and  with  Thomas  Deacon  as  his  medical 
attendant  there  must  have  been  a  fine  Jacobite  flavour 
about  the  High  Sheriff's  year  of  office.  Dr.  Lever 
married  on  3rd  May  1725,  Dorothy,  younger  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  W.  Assheton,  B.D.,  Rector  of  Prestwich, 
and  last  of  the  Asshetons  of  Chadderton.  Byrom  has 
in  his  Journal  for  30th  of  January,  17^*,  a  brief  men- 
tion of  this  marriage,  which  I  must  insert  here,  if  only 
from  the  point  of  view  of  local  associations.  "Rode  to 
Kersal  to  take  leave  with  mother,  talked  with  Parson 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.   61. 


88 


THOMAS   DEACON 


Assheton  upon  the  Moor  and  wished  him  joy  of  his 
daughter  going  to  be  married."^ 

Lady  Lever,  who  was  left  a  widow  in  1742,  was  a 
friend  in  need  to  Deacon  in  the  troubles  which  will  be 
related  in  a  following  chapter. 

Enough  has  now  been  said  on  this  part  of  our  subject. 
It  will  be  plain  that  Deacon  as  a  medical  practitioner 
held  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of  some  of  the  most 
prominent  people  in  Manchester.  The  writer  of  the 
notes  to  Byrom's  ** Remains",^  who  evidently  had  a 
genuine  admiration  for  Deacon  says,  "Manchester  has 
had  good  reason  to  boast  of  its  learned  physicians. 
Amongst  them  no  one  added  to  his  professional  skill 
more  various  and  recondite  erudition  than  Dr.  Deacon."^ 
We  may  endorse  this  opinion  as  reasonable  and  sound, 
and  so  take  leave  of  Thomas  Deacon  in  the  character  of 
a  "non-juring  parson  who  mortifies  himself  with  the 
practice  of  physic,'*  and  we  must  now  resume  in  the 
next  chapter  our  account  of  Deacon's  relations  with  the 
remainder  of  the  non-juring  body. 


1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.    i,  p.  82. 

2.  The  Notes  to  the  "Remains  of  Byrom,"  edited  by  Canon  Parkinson, 
were  written  by  Canon  Raines  and  Mr.  J.  Crossley. 

3.  Ihid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  268. 

4.  Ibid.,  Vol.  i,  p.  499. 


89 


CHAPTER    VIL 

Deacon  as  Non- Juror,  1720-44 :  His  Consecration 
as  Bishop. 

We  must  endeavour  to  take  up  the  story  of  the  non- 
jurors from  the  estabHshment  of  the  definite  schism 
within  the  main  body  which  may  be  dated  from  the  issue 
of  the  new  communion  office  of  17 18.  From  that  date 
various  consecrations  of  Bishops  took  place,  on  both 
sides  of  the  separated  body.  On  November  25th,  1722, 
John  Griffin  was  consecrated  by  ColHer,  Brett  and 
Campbell,  and  on  April  9th,  1727,  Thomas  Brett  the 
younger  was  consecrated  by  Brett,  Griffin  and  Campbell. 
On  the  other  side  Spinckes,  Hawes  and  Gandy  conse- 
crated on  January  25th,  17^,  Hilkiah  Bedford  and 
Ralph  Taylor,  the  latter  of  whom  was  responsible  for 
an  irregular  line  of  succession  of  short  duration.  On 
the  30th  March,  1725,  at  the  request  of  Spinckes  and 
Gandy,  Henry  Doughty  was  consecrated  in  Edinburgh 
by  four  Scotch  Bishops,  Fullarton,  Miller,  Irvine,  and 
Fairbairn.  The  new  Bishop,  together  with  Spinckes 
and  Gandy  consecrated  John  Blackburne  on  Ascension 
Day,  1725,  and  on  the  nth  June  in  the  same  year  Henry 
Hall  was  consecrated  by  the  same  Bishops. 

On  March  25th,  1728,  Gandy,  Doughty  and  Black- 
burne consecrated  Richard  Rawlinson,  to  whose  MSS. 
is  due  so  much  information  as  to  non-juring  consecra- 
tions and  ordinations.  Gandy,  Blackburne  and  Raw- 
linson consecrated  on  St.  Stephen's  Day,  1728,  George 
Smith,  who  became  the  means  of  uniting  the  two  lines 
of  succession. 

The  commonly  expressed  opinion  as  to  the  re-union 
(such  as  it  was)  of  the  non-jurors,  which  was  established 
about  the  year  1732,  is  that  the  Non-Usagers  made  an 


90 


THOMAS   DEACON 


entire  surrender,  and  that  after  this  date  the  communion 
office  of  1 718  was  generally  accepted  and  used.  I 
venture  to  suggest  in  view  of  the  quotations  from  the 
Deacon  MSS.,  which  will  be  given  in  this  chapter,  that 
this  statement  will  require  considerable  modification. 

I  will  begin  the  discussion  of  the  subject  by  quoting 
from  the  Deacon  MSS.  a  letter  addressed  to  "Dr.  Deacon 
at  Manchester'*  by  Dr.  Brett.  It  is  dated  October  4th, 
1729,  from  "Spring  Grove,"  the  family  home  of  the 
Bretts  in  the  County  of  Kent. 


"  Dear  Brother, 

I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  G.  Smith  of  Durham 
(the  publisher  of  Bede)  with  proposals  for  a  re-union 
between  us  and  our  old  friends,  and  that  Mr.  Black- 
burne  had  agreed  to  make  them  to  us.  At  the  same 
time  Mr.  Griffin  acquainted  me  that  they  had  made 
him  a  civil  visit  and  made  the  like  proposals,  and  let 
him  know  that  they  would  send  them  to  me.  But  as 
none  of  their  own  side  were  yet  acquainted  with  them 
but  themselves,  I  was  also  desired  to  acquaint  nobody 
with  the  matter  except  Mr.  Wagstaffe  till  we  were 
come  to  some  agreement.  And  accordingly  Mr. 
Griffin  and  I  are  come  to  this  agreement  with  these 
two  bishops  if  they  and  we  can  prevail  with  our 
brethren  on  both  sides  to  agree  with  us,  which  I  hope 
we  may  do.  The  proposals  are  shortly  these.  They 
agree  that  the  Mixture  shall  be  always  and  openly 
used,  but  the  words  'Militant  here  on  earth'  must 
always  be  said  and  all  the  service  as  in  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer.  We  are  at  liberty  to  understand 
the  clause  in  the  Prayer  for  the  Church  Militant  in 
the  same  unlimited  sense  as  if  the  aforesaid  words 
were  left  out,  agreeably  to  other  parts  of  the  Common 
Prayer  Book,  particularly  in  the  Burial  Service,  where 
'God  is  besought  to  accomplish  the  number  of  his 
elect,  etc'     And  that  the  words  'accept  our  oblations' 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR  pi 

are  to  be  understood  of  the  bread  and  wine  placed 
upon  the  Table  by  the  priest,  and  that  in  so  doing  he 
does  not  only  acknowledge  God's  sovereignty  thereby, 
but  also  offers  the  elements  for  the  sacrificial  minis- 
tration and  intends  to  perform  with  them  all  the  subse- 
quent acts  .  .  .  And  they  declare  that  the  Church  by 
putting  this  oblation  of  bread  and  wine  at  the  begin- 
ning of  her  service  intends  it  to  have  an  influence  upon 
her  whole  service  and  to  show  that  the  whole  is 
oblatory  and  sacrificial.  Further  the  words  "grant 
that  we  receiving  etc'  may  imply  a  petition  for  the 
blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  because  of  the  words  'Thy 
Holy  Institution.'  If  these  terms  are  accepted  we 
must  lay  aside  our  new  office.  We  may  be  satisfied 
with  these  terms  until  better  provision  is  made  by 
more  unexceptionable  authority." 

It  will  be  well  for  the  better  understanding  of  these 
proposals  that  something  should  be  said  as  to  the  three 
bishops  named  by  Brett  in  this  letter.  On  the  one  side 
we  have  Smith  and  Blackburne,  and  on  the  other  Griffin 
and  Brett  himself.  The  "Mr.  Wagstaffe"  mentioned 
was  the  son  of  Thomas  Wagstaffe  consecrated  in  1693 
(see  page  4.)  He  was  never  made  a  bishop  by  the 
non-jurors  but  was  a  most  accomplished  classical  scholar 
and  took  a  leading  part  in  the  controversy  of  1716-20  on 
the  side  of  the  Usagers.  In  1738  he  left  England  and 
became  Anglican  Chaplain  to  the  titular  James  III.,  and 
afterwards  to  Charles  III.  It  may  be  surmised  that  his 
duty  in  that  extraordinary  position  would  not  be  onerous, 
but  Wagstaffe  certainly  made  good  use  of  his  time.  The 
library  at  Sion  College  possesses  a  MS.  copy  of  "an 
accurate  collation  of  several  particular  texts  in  the 
principal  Greek  MSS.  in  the  Vatican  and  Barberini 
libraries  at  Rome  made  by  Thomas  Wagstaffe."  This 
copy  was  presented  to  Sion  College  by  John  Berriman, 
in   whose  preface  are  some   remarks  which  are  worth 


92 


THOMAS   DEACON 


transcribing.  "In  the  year  1738  I  obtained  from  the 
very  learned  Thomas  Wagstaffe  at  Rome  a  more  exact 
and  particular  account  of  the  Greek  MSS.  of  St.  Paul's 
Epistles  in  the  Vatican  Library  and  that  of  Cardinal 
Barberini  than  had  ever  before  been  communicated  to 
the  world.  Mr.  Wagstaffe  had  for  some  time  free  access 
to  the  Vatican  and  the  liberty  of  collating  MSS.  in  the 
absence  of  the  Assemani,  the  librarian."  Wagstaffe 
died  in  Rome  in  1770,  and  it  was  commonly  said  that 
but  for  his  faith  he  would  have  been  canonised.  He 
was,  on  his  ordination  in  i/JJ,  appointed  keeper  of 
the  Church  records  of  the  non-jurors,  and  may  in  this 
way  have  been  regarded  as  a  suitable  intermediary 
between  the  opposing  bishops,  of  whom  a  brief  account 
is  here  given. 

John  Griffin  of  Merton  College,  Oxford  (1696),  refused 
the  oaths  in  1715,  was  consecrated  in  1722  (see  page  89), 
and  went  in  1728  to  take  charge,  as  bishop,  of  a  non- 
juring  community  in  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  This 
would  account  for  his  connection  with  George  Smith, 
who  was  a  native  of  Durham  and  a  nephew  of  Hilkiah 
Bedford.  He  belonged  to  a  family  of  some  eminence. 
His  father  was  Prebendary  of  Durham,  and  commenced 
an  edition  of  "Bede's  Ecclesiastical  History,"  which  was 
completed  by  his  son,  George  Smith,  and  was  for  many 
years  the  standard  work  on  that  subject.^ 

John  Blackburne  was  the  most  unyielding  of  the  non- 
usagers,  and  is  commonly  believed  to  have  refused  to 
join  in  the  agreement  which  was  shortly  afterwards 
made. 

It  is  evident  from  the  proposals  contained  in  this  letter 
(which  were  practically  endorsed  by  Brett)  that  Brett  was 
prepared  to  retrace  his  steps,  to  a  considerable  extent, 

1.  See  Chas.  Plummer's  "Venerable  Bede"  (Oxford,  1896),  Author's 
preface,  p.  80  :  "  It  was  completed  as  a  labour  of  love  by  his  son, 
Geo,  Smith,  who  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death  (1715)  was  only 
22  years  old.  So  good,  however,  is  Smith's  text  that  subsequent  editors 
have  practically  been  content  to  reproduce  it,  and  very  little  has  been 
done  for  the  textual  criticism  of  Bede  since  1722." 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


93 


and  that  he  was  becoming  uneasy  as  to  the  ecclesiastical 
position  of  the  non-jurors.  It  is  not  possible  to  imagine 
that  either  Campbell  or  Deacon  would  have  spoken  of  a 
*'  more  unexceptionable  authority." 

The  proposals  made  by  Bishop  Smith  were  really 
exactly  opposite  to  those  offered  by  Collier  and  Brett  in 
1 716.  What  they  desired  was  that  the  Usages  must  be 
accepted  but  their  opponents  need  not  believe  in  them 
as  matters  of  necessity.  What  the  non-usagers  now 
proposed  was,  that  all  the  usages,  with  the  important 
exception  of  the  mixed  chalice  should  be  given  up,  but 
on  the  other  hand  the  doctrines  of  which  the  usages 
were  the  outward  expression  were  freely  acknowledged. 
A  basis  of  agreement  was  now  quite  possible  provided 
that  any  real  desire  for  unity  was  in  existence.  It  may, 
however,  be  doubted  whether  Brett  entertained  any  hope 
of  influencing  Thomas  Deacon  in  this  direction.  The 
reply  of  Deacon  to  Brett  is  not  preserved,  but  if  the 
reader  has  perceived  the  drift  of  Deacon's  opinions  as 
an  "essentialist"  he  will  not  be  surprised  to  find  that 
Deacon  refused  to  be  any  party  to  these  negotiations. 
A  second  letter  from  Brett  dated  8th  November,  1729,  is 
preserved.  "I  am  sorry  to  find  by  your  letter  that  not- 
withstanding you  express  a  desire  for  peace  and  union 
yet  your  arguments  tend  to  make  a  greater  breach 
between  us  and  our  old  friends  than  ever  has  been." 

I  suspect  that  Deacon,  with  his  usual  incisive  judg- 
ment, perceived  that  the  real  point  at  issue  was  whether 
re-union  with  the  English  Church  was  desirable  or  not* 
If  it  were  desirable  then  it  would  probably  be  good 
policy  to  have  as  little  divergence  as  possible  from  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  But  Deacon  certainly  rejected 
this  view  :  re-union  with  the  Church  was  to  him  not  only 
undesirable  but  impossible.  From  certain  obscure  pas- 
sages to  be  found  in  Brett's  second  letter  it  would  appear 
that  Deacon  argued  strongly  against  certain  Articles  and 
Canons.     To  this  Brett  replied  it  would  be  time  enough 


94 


THOMAS  DEACON 


to  discuss  these  matters  when  subscription  to  Articles 
or  Canons  was  actually  required.  Another  point  about 
which  discussion  had  taken  place  was  concerned  with  the 
later  opinions  of  Jeremy  Collier.  Brett  makes  the 
interesting  statement  that  Mr.  Collier  "yielded  to  the 
use  of  the  words  'militant  here  on  earth'  because  they 
were  not  exclusive  in  their  meaning."  Brett  concludes 
this  letter  by  stating  his  personal  position.  "I  can't  say 
that  I  do  not  think  our  own  office  much  better  than  this, 
however  I  think  we  may  content  ourselves  with  this 
rather  than  continue  divided  from  our  brethren." 

There  is  appended  on  the  next  page  of  the  MS. 
without  any  heading,  note  or  comment  the  following 
statement.  "When  compared  with  Catholic  peace  and 
union  all  the  question  is  whether  we  should  be  divided 
from  our  old  friends  or  from  the  Primitive  Church.  For 
if  I  could  once  be  satisfied  that  the  latter  would  have 
communicated  by  such  a  Liturgy  as  the  former  propose, 
I  would  not  say  one  word  upon  the  point  of  worship." 
There  speaks  Deacon,  and  this  brief  record  is  doubtless 
intended  as  a  summary  of  his  reply  to  Brett. 

That  a  settlement  was  made  between  Brett  on  the  one 
side  and  Smith  on  the  other  is  certain.  It  is  equally 
certain  that  Campbell  and  Deacon  were  not  included  in 
this  settlement.  Canon  Overton  blames  Campbell  for 
originating  what  was  practically  yet  another  schism,  and 
says  that  this  was  the  more  inexcusable  "because  the 
usagers  had  practically  won  all  along  the  line."  I  am 
very  far  from  desiring  to  dissent  from  Overton's  censure 
of  Campbell,  but  in  view  of  the  proposals  which  were 
approved  by  Brett  it  is  impossible  to  accept  this  state- 
ment as  correct.  It  is  true  that  by  1733  all  the  non- 
juring  bishops  with  the  exception  of  Campbell  and  those 
whom  he  consecrated  in  that  year,  and  of  Blackburne 
who,  apparently,  refused  the  mixed  cup  altogether,  were 
in  communion  with  each  other,  but  if,  as  is  probably  the 
case,  the  re-union  was  attained  on  the  lines  which  have 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


^ 


been  indicated,  it  is  a  misuse  of  language  to  describe 
the  settlement  as  *'a  complete  triumph  for  the  usagers." 
I  believe  that  this  was  the  basis  of  the  settlement,  and 
further  there  is  not  wanting  evidence  that  from  this  time 
the  Communion  Office  of  1718,  which  was  the  outward 
and  visible  sign  of  the  beliefs  of  the  usagers,  was  laid 
aside. 

A  letter  which  appeared  in  the  British  Magazine, 
Volume  17,  page  537,  under  the  signature  of  'W  at 
Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  throws  considerable  light 
upon  this  subject.  Reference  is  made  to  a  tract  written 
in  1732  by  Roger  Laurence  entitled  'the  indispensable 
obligation  of  ministering  expressly  and  manifestly  the 
great  Necessaries  of  Public  Worship,  with  a  detection 
of  the  false  reasonings  of  Dr.  Brett's  letter.'  Laurence 
gives  in  this  tract  a  copy  of  an  'Instrument  of  Union,' 
the  terms  of  which  are  almost  identical  with  those  con- 
tained in  Brett's  letter  to  Deacon.  This  was  signed  on 
the  first  part  by  the  following  :  — 

H.  G.,  i.e.,  Henry  Gandy. 
R.  R.,  i.e.,  Richard  Rawlinson. 
proct.  G.  S.,  i.e.,  George  Smith. 
April  17th,  1732. 

There  is  api>ended  the  following  declaration  signed 
by  the  two  Bretts,  father  and  son.  "We  being  satisfied 
with  the  promises  and  declarations  made  by  Mr.  H.  G., 
Dr.  R.  R.,  and  Mr.  G.  S.,  do  return  to  full  communion 
with  them  and  promise  to  lay  aside  the  office  we  now 
use  from  and  after  Sept.  i,  1732. 


May  26th, 
1732. 


T.  B.,  LL.D. 
T.  B.,  A.M.' 


Laurence  strongly  denounces  this  compact.  *'  The 
instrument  falsely  called  an  Instrument  of  Union  has 
proved  an   Instrument  of  division.     It  has  divided  us 


96 


THOMAS   DEACON 


more  than  we  were  divided  before."  The  anonymous 
writer  in  the  British  Magazine  states  that  Brett  replied 
to  this  tract  in  1733.  I  can  find  no  trace  of  the  reply, 
but  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  in  the  MS.  catalogue  of 
the  Rev.  John  Clayton  is  to  be  found  the  title  of  a  book 
by  Brett.  "The  necessaries  of  christian  worship  pro- 
vided for  in  the  liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England, 
1733'"     This  is  evidently  the  reply  to  Laurence. 

Further  evidence  may  be  found  in  the  practice  of  the 
later  Non-jurors  in  London.  In  1731  the  two  Bretts, 
father  and  son,  joined  with  Smith  in  consecrating  Maw- 
man,  and  in  1 741,  Brett,  Smith  and  Mawman  consecrated 
Robert  Gordon,  the  last  bishop  of  the  regular  succession. 
Now  we  happen  10  know  how  Bishop  Gordon  conducted 
public  worship  from  the  description  given  by  Bishop 
Forbes  under  the  date  of  October  1764.^  He  tells  us  that 
"Gordon  omitted  the  words 'militant,  etc.,' and  made  this 
great  addition,  'all  sick  and  distressed  persons,  particu- 
larly such  as  may  be  suffering  in  the  cause  of  Truth,  and 
Righteousness,  etc.,'  and  added  'exiles'  to  'prisoners 
and  captives'  and  made  a  long  pause  after  these  words, 
'departed  this  life  in  Thy  Faith  and  Fear,'  during  which 
he  and  his  people  with  hands  and  eyes  lifted  up  into 
heaven  were  commemorating  such  of  the  faithful  departed 
as  they  should  judge  most  proper  at  the  time  :  and  in 
the  Prayer  of  Consecration  he  also  made  a  long  pause 
after  these  words,  'Hear  us  O  merciful  Father,  we  most 
humbly  beseech  Thee,'  in  order  to  introduce  mentally 
the  Invocation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  upon  the 
elements  of  bread  and  wine.  Immediately  after  the 
Prayer  of  Consecration  he  used  the  Oblatory  Prayer." 

If  it  be  urged  that  at  the  late  period  of  1 764  alterations 
may  have  taken  place  which  were  not  sanctioned  in  1741, 
it  may  be  replied  that  we  have  evidence  from  correspon- 
dence between  Deacon  and  his  Clergy  in  1750  (see  page 

1.  Journals  of  the   Episcopal   Visitations   of   Bishop   Robert   Forbes, 
edited  and  compiled  by  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Craven  (London,  1886),  pp.  33-35. 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


^ 


138)  that  Gordon's  use  in  that  year  was  identical  with 
what  has  been  described  by  Bishop  Forbes.  I  conclude 
then  that  so  far  from  the  settlement  of  1733  being  a 
triumph  for  the  usagers,  it  was  really  a  compromise  by 
means  of  which  the  opposing  side  gained  much,  par- 
ticularly in  the  disuse  of  the  liturgy  of  17 18  and  the 
return  to  the  English  liturgy,  with  the  few  alterations 
in  Bishop  Forbes'  account  which  has  been  given  above. 

Archibald  Campbell  refused  all  part  in  these  proceed- 
ings and  now  took  the  irregular  and  uncanonical  step  of 
consecrating  solely  by  himself  two  bishops  to  perpetuate 
what  was  now  henceforth  a  separate  wing  of  the  non- 
juring  movement.  The  entry  in  the  Rawlinson  MSS. 
is  brief,  "Roger  Laurence,  M.A.  consecrated  by  Mr. 
Arch.  Campbell.  Thomas  Deacon  consecrated  by  the 
same  person  at  the  same  time."  ^ 

Mr.  A.  P.  Perceval  in  his  "Doctrine  of  the  Apostolical 
Succession  "  (second  edition,  appendix),  states  that 
Laurence  was  consecrated  first  and  then  joined  Campbell 
in  consecrating  Deacon.  The  story  does  not  of  itself 
sound  very  probable,  is  at  variance  with  the  statement  in 
the  Rawlinson  MSS.,  and  appears  to  be  contradicted 
by  the  letters  of  1750  quoted  on  page  140,  in  which  it 
appears  to  be  taken  for  granted  that  Deacon  was  conse- 
crated by  a  single  bishop.  I  should  doubt  whether  Mr. 
Perceval's  authority  is  much  to  be  trusted  on  these 
matters.  He  makes  in  the  same  appendix  the  amazing 
statement  that  Cartwright  was  consecrated  by  Deacon  in 
1780,  that  is,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  after 
Deacon's  death,  and  this  mistake  was  repeated  by 
several  writers  in  "Notes  and  Queries." 

Roger  Laurence  (b.  1670)  is  chiefly  famous  for  his 
views  on  the  invalidity  of  lay  baptism,  on  which  subject 
he  published  a  treatise  in  1708,  which  was  followed  by  a 
violent  controversy,   in  the  course  of  which   Laurence 

1.  No  date  is  given,  but  it  appears  to  be  generally  acqepted  that 
Deacon's  consecration  took  place  in  the  year  1733.  I  must  confess, 
however,  that  I  have  never  found  any  actual  proof  of  this.  See,  how- 
ever, the  "  Letter  of  Orders,"  p.  157. 

I 


98 


THOMAS  DEACON 


received  some  assistance  from  Hickes  and  Brett.  He 
was  by  this  means  won  over  to  the  non-juring  cause  and 
was  ordained  Deacon  and  Priest  by  Bishop  Hickes  in 
December,  17 14,  and  appears  to  have  become  minister 
of  an  Oratory  on  College  Hill,  which  is  frequently 
described  by  Rawlinson  as  Mr.  Laurence's  Chapel. 
Laurence's  views  on  lay  baptism  would  strongly  com- 
mend him  to  Archibald  Campbell,  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  he  was  of  one  mind  with  Campbell 
and  Deacon  as  to  what  they  considered  essentials.  He 
did  not  long  survive  his  consecration,  dying  in  1736. 

The  question  may  be  asked  whether  John  Byrom  knew 
anything  at  the  time  of  Deacon's  consecration.  There 
is  no  trace  of  any  reference  to  it  in  his  "Remains,"  and, 
indeed,  singularly  few  letters  of  this  date  between  Byrom 
and  Deacon  are  preserved.  It  may  be  conjectured  that 
the  secret  would  not  be  long  kept  between  two  such 
intimate  friends,  and  it  appears  certain  from  various 
pamphlets  afterwards  published  in  "Manchester  Vindi- 
cated" that  Deacon's  episcopal  character  was  generally 
known.  As  previously  intimated  I  have  prepared  a 
special  appendix  containing  many  of  these  papers,  but 
I  insert  here  the  following  quotation  which  is  probably 
from  the  pen  of  Byrom,  and  was  published  in  the 
"Chester  Courant"  of  February  24th,  i/J^.  "I  had 
nothing  to  do  the  next  day  but  to  make  some  enquiry 
after  the  Non-juring  bishop  and  his  congregation  which 
have  made  such  an  eminent  figure  in  history.  The  title 
of  Bishop,  and  of  a  bishop  as  I  was  told,  of  pretty  near 
the  same  complexion  with  the  Roman  ones,  gave  me  an 
idea  of  some  venerable  Personage  who  never  stirred  out 
without  his  equipage  and  proper  habiliments  with  a 
posse  of  inferior  clergy  to  attend  him  :  but  this  Prelate  I 
had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  entirely  unattended.  He 
was  dressed  just  like  other  men  are  and  proved  nothing 
more  than  a  physician  in  the  town  of  great  repute  for 
his  learning  and  practice." 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


99 


As  to  Deacon's  "Congregation"  in  Manchester  it  may- 
very  well  be  thought  that  something  should  have  been 
said  previously  on  this  subject.  The  fact  is,  however, 
that  no  information  of  any  importance  is  available.  It 
is  not  even  certain  whether  Deacon  conducted  worship 
in  his  own  house  in  Fennel  Street,  or  in  an  adjacent 
building,  but  the  strong  probability  is  that  the  former 
supposition  is  correct.^  There  is  a  note  of  some  interest 
in  the  ''Compleat  History  of  the  Rebellion  from  its  first 
rise  in  1745  to  its  total  suppression  at  the  glorious  battle 
of  Culloden  in  April,  1746,"  by  Mr.  James  Ray  of 
Whitehaven,  Volunteer  under  his  Royal  Highness  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland.  Ray  was  an  antiquarian  as  well 
as  a  soldier,  and  he  had  also  some  pretensions  to 
journalism.  He  introduced  into  his  book  "The  natural 
history  and  antiquities  of  the  several  towns  through 
which  I  passed  with  His  Majesty's  army."  On  page 
207  he  writes,  in  his  notes  of  Manchester,  "there  is  a 
Jacobite  non-juring  Chapel :  I  don't  know  of  what  body 
the  congregation  consists,  they  not  allowing  any  to  come 
amongst  them  but  such  as  are  of  their  own  sort,  who 
(like  the  more  worshipful  society  of  Freemasons)  are 
under  an  oath  not  to  divulge  what  is  transacted  there 
except  it  be  to  a  just  and  lawful  Jacobite,  as  he  or  they 
shall  appear  upon  examination." 

As  to  the  number  of  Deacon's  flock,  it  cannot  at  any 
time  have  been  large.  During  the  avalanche  of  tracts 
and  pamphlets,  which  followed  on  the  various  troubles 
of  the  '45,  reference  is  made,  from  various  points  of 
view  to  the  number  of  Deacon's  followers,  which  is 
variously  estimated  from  20  to  100.  In  the  passage 
which  has  been  quoted  it  is  added  "as  to  his  congrega- 
tion it  consisted  according  to  the  account  I  received  of 
about   a   score   of   persons,   the   greater   part   of   them 

1.  Mr.  T.  Swindells,  however,  in  his  "  Manchester  Men  and  Manchester 
Streets,"  Series  I,  p.  61,  states  that  Deacon's  services  were  held  over  a 
shop  in  Fennel  Street. 


zoo 


THOMAS   DEACON 


women."  ^  An  extract  from  a  pamphlet  attributed  to 
Thomas  Perceval  of  Royton,  is  as  follows: — **His  own 
congregation  were  about  20  before  the  late  hurry  and 
now  perhaps  not  above  60  that  publicly  attend  him."  ^ 
It  is  likely  enough  that  the  executions  of  the  '45  would 
have  the  customary  result  of  increasing  Deacon's  popu- 
larity, but  it  may  be  taken  as  certain  that  the  congrega- 
tion to  which  he  ministered  for  30  years  in  Manchester 
as  Priest  and  Bishop  never  exceeded  a  few  score.  It 
should,  however,  be  said  that  Deacon's  powerful  per- 
sonality undoubtedly  had  a  strong  influence  over  the  few 
who  adhered  to  him,  as  will  be  stated  in  the  last  chapter 
of  this  work,  and  the  congregation  continued  in  existence 
until  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

As  to  what  is  in  modern  times  styled  *'  ritual  "  I 
presume  that  the  services  conducted  by  Deacon  would  be 
of  a  very  simple  character.  The  first  three  centuries 
would  not  furnish  any  precedent  for  elaborate  ceremo- 
nial, and  so  far  as  can  be  gathered  from  the  rubrics  in 
the  "Compleat  Devotions"  nothing  was  desired  or 
attempted  in  this  direction  with  the  possible  exception 
of  the  frequent  use  of  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  which  is 
described  in  Deacon's  "Comprehensive  View"  as  a 
Sacrament. 

One  of  Deacon's  first  acts  as  bishop  was  the  issue  in 
1734  of  his  "Compleat  Collection  of  Devotions."  A 
full  account  of  this  remarkable  work  is  given  in  Appen- 
dix A.  It  may  be  assumed  that  from  this  date  the  office 
of  1 7 18  was  laid  aside  and  the  new  and  more  elaborate 
liturgy  substituted  in  its  stead.  It  may  here  suffice  to 
say  that  a  statement  in  "Notes  and  Queries,"  Series  2, 
No.  76,  under  date  June  13th,  1857,  refers  to  a  copy  of 
this  work  which  was  sold  by  Sotheby  and  Wilkinson 
on  June  5th  and  6th  of  that  year.  The  book  had  a  title 
of  a  remarkable  character.     "The  Order  of  the  Divine 


1.  See  p.  98. 

2.  See  p.  133. 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


lOI 


Offices  of  the  Orthodox  British  Church  containing  the 
Holy  Liturgy,  etc.,  as  authorised  by  the  Bishops  of  the 
said  Church."  This  is  a  high-sounding  title,  but  it  is 
necessary  to  point  out  that  the  only  bishops  who  were 
in  any  way  responsible  for  the  work  were  Campbell, 
Deacon  and  Laurence. 

There  is  a  curious  incident  in  connection  with 
Deacon's  episcopal  career  which  has  not  been  mentioned 
so  far  as  I  am  aware  in  any  previous  work.  We  are 
indebted  for  information  on  the  subject  to  the  Reverend 
Walter  Bell,  Minister  of  the  Scottish  Episcopal  Church 
at  Linton,  near  Edinburgh,  some  40  years  ago.  He 
writes  on  June  4th,  1862,  to  the  Feoffees  of  the  Chetham 
Hospital  and  forwards  them  a  copy  of  some  MSS.  which 
were  at  the  time  in  the  library  of  the  Scottish  Episcopal 
Church  at  Edinburgh,  and  which  he  thinks  might  be  of 
interest  to  Manchester  people.  The  copy  made  by  Mr. 
Bell  includes  a  "letter  from  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Deacon 
at  Manchester  to  the  Reverend  Clergy  in  London  who 
were  in  communion  with  and  under  the  government  of 
the  late  Rt.  Rev.  Archibald  Campbell,"  and  also  letters 
between  "Dr.  Deacon  and  his  Presbyters  in  the  year 
1750."  It  will  be  more  convenient  to  deal  with  the 
latter  in  its  own  place  but  the  former  is  here  quoted. 
"Since  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  out  of 
this  transitory  life  our  late  dear  brother,  Mr.  Archibald 
Campbell,  by  which  means  the  government  of  the  small 
distressed  church  under  your  care  is  devolved  upon  my 
Unworthiness,  I,  taking  into  consideration  the  Duty  of 
my  Office  and  following  the  advice  of  the  Holy  Martyr 
Saint  Ignatius  to  the  Blessed  Polycarp,  to  enquire  about 
everyone  by  name,  do  desire  that  you  would  each  of  you 
send  me  a  list  of  all  the  several  persons  who  are  in  your 
Communion  and  under  your  Cares,  their  Names, 
Stations  in  Life,  places  of  Abode  and  their  children  and 
their  ages  :  for,  as  I  am  to  answer  to  the  Great  God  for 
all  the  souls  under  my  inspection,  I  am  determined  to 


102 


THOMAS   DEACON 


know  every  one  in  particular.  And  as  the  duties  between 
a  bishop  and  his  clergy  and  people  are  relative  and 
reciprocal,  that  I  may  be  assured  of  the  mutual  perfor- 
mance of  yours,  as  I  do  hereby  engage  myself  to  a  due 
execution  of  mine,  I  also  desire  you,  my  brethren  of  the 
clergy,  to  draw  up  an  instrument,  expressing  your 
acknowledgement  of  me  for  your  principle  of  Unity  and 
promising  such  obedience  as  is  due  by  the  Laws  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  This  I  expect  you  to  sign  yourselves 
and  to  get  it  signed  by  all  the  laity  under  you  :  for  I 
shall  look  upon  none  to  be  under  my  care  nor  exercise 
Episcopal  Authority  over  any  but  those  persons  (and 
their  children)  who  shall  sign  the  said  Instrument.  And 
I  think  it  will  be  proper  for  you  to  keep  a  copy  of  the 
same,  that  it  may  be  signed  by  new  converts,  as  God 
shall  be  pleased  from  time  to  time  to  bless  and  increase 
our  Communion  with  them.  I  hope  you  will  judge  this 
step  which  I  take  as  proper  as  it  is  thought  necessary  by 
Rev.  Sirs, 

Your  affectionate  Brother, 
July  20th,  1744.  ^    Thos.  Deacon." 


It  is  evident  that  Deacon  regarded  himself  as  Camp- 
bell's successor  and  also  as  the  sole  remaining  bishop 
of  what  was  now  styled  the  "Orthodox  British  Catholic 
Church."  There  was  another  non-juring  communion 
with  one  or  more  congregations  in  London  under  the 
guidance  of  Robert  Gordon,  who  is  referred  to  on  page 
137.  It  is,  however,  quite  certain  from  letters  which  will 
be  quoted  in  Chapter  IX.  that  the  ''small  and  distressed 
church"  to  which  Deacon  addresses  himself  in  this 
epistle  had  no  connection  whatever  with  the  communion 
of  Bishop  Gordon.  The  spectacle  of  Thomas  Deacon 
in  Manchester  solemnly  addressing  a  handful  of  people 
in  London,  and  claiming  to  be  in  his  own  person  their 
''principle  of  unity"  may  api>ear  pathetic  or  ridiculous 
according  to  the  prepwDssessions  of  the  individual  reader. 


DEACON  AS  NON-JUROR 


103 


We  here  bring  to  a  close  the  three  chapters  in  which 
an  attempt  has  been  made  to  represent  Thomas  Deacon 
during  the  best  years  of  his  life,  as  an  ordinary  member 
of  the  community,  as  a  physician,  and  as  a  non-juring 
priest  and  bishop.  It  may  perhaps  be  claimed  that  this 
has  been  done  on  a  much  fuller  scale  than  in  any  previous 
account  of  Deacon.  It  is  also  hoped  that  where  the  facts 
presented  are  already  familiar  to  students  of  this  period 
(as  they  are  for  the  most  part)  a  new  pK)int  of  view  has 
been  adopted,  and  that  information  has  here  and  there 
been  inserted  which  may  be  said  to  throw  new  light  upon 
what  is  without  doubt  a  curious  and  abstruse  subject. 

We  now  proceed  in  the  next  chapter  to  deal  with  the 
story  of  the  '45,  so  far  as  the  fortunes  of  Thomas  Deacon 
were  involved  in  that  disastrous  undertaking. 


105 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Manchester  and  the  '45 :  Execution  of  T.  T.  Deacon : 
The  Controversy  of  1746-8 :  "Manchester  Vindicated." 

As  this  work  does  not  profess  to  deal  with  the  general 
history  of  England,  we  shall  take  as  our  starting  point 
the  entry  into  Manchester  of  the  Jacobite  forces  on  28th 
November,  1745.  We  are  fortunate  in  possessing  a 
most  delightful  account  of  these  stirring  events  from  the 
pen  of  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  and  child  of  John 
Byrom.  "Beppy,"  as  she  is  affectionately  named  by 
her  father  in  his  letters,  was  at  this  time  in  her  24th  year, 
and  her  journal  is  perhaps  not  the  less  interesting  as 
being  written  from  a  girl's  point  of  view.  The  journal 
is  to  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of  Byrom's 
"Remains,"  beginning  at  page  385.  It  may  be  noted 
that  no  entries  made  in  his  journal  by  John  Byrom 
himself  during  this  period  are  preserved,  a  fact  which 
is  not  without  significance.  It  is  impossible  to  believe 
that  Byrom  did  not  write  an  account  which,  for  some 
reason  or  other,  he  thought  it  well  to  destroy. 

On  27th  November,  Miss  Byrom  briefly  records  : — 

"Yesterday  the  militia  was  all  discharged  and  sent 
home,  but  just  in  time  before  the  Highlanders  came — 
well  contrived." 

It  was  so  far  well  contrived  that  on  the  succeeding  day 
Miss  Byrom  is  able  to  record  her  version  of  the  story 
first  told  by  James  Ray  in  his  "Rebellion,"  ^  and  often 
since  repeated  that  "Manchester  was  taken  by  a  Ser- 
geant, a  Drum  and  a  Woman." 

"Thursday   28th  :    About  3-0  o'clock  came  into  the 

1.  "  Compleat  History  of  the  Rebellion,"  p.  156. 


io6 


THOMAS    DEACON 


town  two  men  in  Highland  dress  and  a  woman  behind 
one  of  them  with  a  drum  on  her  knee,  and  for  all  the 
loyal  work  that  our  Presbyterians  have  made,  they  took 
possession  of  the  town,  as  one  may  say,  for,  immediately 
they  were  'light,  they  beat  volunteers  for  P.C.  'All 
gentlemen  that  have  a  mind  to  serve  H.  R.  H.  P.  C. 
with  a  willing  mind  etc.  five  guineas  advance,'  and 
nobody  offered  to  meddle  with  them.  They  were  joined 
immediately  by  Mr.  J.  Bradshaw,  Tom  Syddall,  Mr. 
Tom  Deacon,  Mr.  Fletcher,  Tom  Chaddock  and  several 
others  have  listed." 

Our  journalist  goes  on  to  say  that  it  is  a  fine  moon- 
light night  and  that  her  papa  and  uncle  had  gone  to 
consult  with  the  Borough-Reeve  and  others,  how  to  keep 
themselves  out  of  any  scrape  and  yet  behave  civilly. 
"All  the  Justices  fled  and  Lawyers  too  except  Cousin 
Clowes." 

"Friday  29th  :  They  are  beating  up  for  the  P  : 
eleven  o'clock  we  went  up  to  the  Cross  to  see  the  rest 
come  in  :  there  came  small  parties  of  them  till  about 
three  o'clock  when  the  P.  and  the  main  body  of  them 
came,  I  cannot  guess  how  many." 

There  are  two  items  of  interest  omitted  in  Miss 
Byrom's  record  which  we  may  insert  here.  As  the  first 
party  of  the  main  body  of  the  rebels  marched  into  St. 
Ann's  Square  on  the  morning  of  the  29th  November, 
the  funeral  of  Joseph  Hoole,  the  second  rector  of  St. 
Ann's  was  being  conducted  in  the  churchyard.  It  is 
stated  by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware^  "that  some  of  the  Officers 
came  to  the  graveside,  uncovered,  and  behaved  with  great 
respect  and  decorum."  The  other  incident  is  concerned 
with  an  event  which  took  place  in  Salford.  As  Charles 
Edward  passed  through  the  streets  of  the  "Royal 
Borough"  he  was  met  by  the  Rev.  John  Clayton  who 
fell  on  his  knees  and  publicly  prayed  for  the  success  of 
the  undertaking. 

1.  "  Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  IOOl 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  107 

Our  journalist  then  describes  how  "the  P.  went 
straight  up  to  Mr.  Dickenson's  where  he  lodges — all  the 
town  was  illuminated  except  Mr.  Dickenson's,  my  papa, 
mamma  and  sister,  my  uncle  and  I  walked  up  and  down 
to  see  it :  about  four  o'clock  the  King  was  proclaimed 
etc.  We  sat  up  making  St.  Andrew's  crosses  until  two 
o'clock." 

With  regard  to  the  proclamation  of  James  III.  in 
Manchester,  it  will  be  noticed  that  Miss  Byrom  makes  no 
reference  to  the  part  taken  in  those  proceedings  by  the 
Constables  of  the  town,  Thomas  Walley  and  William 
Fowden.  A  full  account  is  given  in  the  Kenyon  MSS., 
page  478,  Nos.  1223  and  1224,  in  the  form  of  a  copy  of 
a  brief  for  the  defendant  in  the  suit  of  the  King  versus 
William  Fowden.  "As  to  proclaiming  the  Pretender, 
the  Constables  were  sent  for  to  the  Pretender's  lodgings 
under  a  guard  of  armed  rebels,  and  thence  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  November  29th, 
guarded  down  to  the  Market  Cross  where  a  rebel  officer 
tendered  the  proclamation  unto  Mr.  Walley,  who  abso- 
lutely refused  to  read  it,  and  it  was  then  tendered  to  the 
prisoner  Mr.  Fowden,  who  gave  a  like  refusal,  but  upon 
being  pressed  he  told  them  he  could  not  see  without  his 
spectacles.  Then  Mr.  Walley  being  demanded  to  repeat 
the  proclamation  after  one  of  the  rebel  officers  said  he 
had  a  hesitation  in  his  speech  and  could  not,  upon  which 
they  obliged  Mr.  Fowden  to  repeat  after  them  which  he 
did  very  unwillingly  and  in  great  fear." 

John  Byrom  confirms  this  statement  in  the  letter  to 
Mr.  Vigor  of  Bristol  quoted  on  page  iii. — "  At  the 
proclamation,  the  two  constables  were  forced  to  be  there 
and  one  of  them  to  repeat  the  words." 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  part  of  Miss  Byrom's 
description  is  in  her  account  of  the  events  of  the  suc- 
ceeding day,  from  which  the  following  quotation  is 
taken  :  — 

"St.    Andrew's    Day:    More    crosses    making    until 


XOS  THOMAS    DEACON 

twelve  o*clock  :  then  I  dressed  me  up  in  my  white  gown 
and  went  up  to  my  Aunt  Brearcliffe's,  and  an  Officer 
called  on  us  to  go  to  see  the  Prince,  we  went  to  Mr. 
Fletcher's  and  saw  him  get  a  horse-back  and  a  noble 
sight  it  is,  I  would  not  have  missed  it  for  a  great  deal 
of  money.  His  horse  had  stood  an  hour  in  the  court 
without  stirring,  and  as  soon  as  he  gat  on,  he  began 
a-dancing  and  capering  as  if  he  was  proud  of  the  burden, 
and  when  he  rid  out  of  the  court,  he  was  received  with 
as  much  joy  and  shouting  almost  as  if  he  had  been  King 
without  any  dispute,  indeed  I  think  scarce  anybody  that 
saw  him  could  dispute  it." 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  young  lady  is  less  cautious 
than  her  father  in  her  expression  of  Jacobite  sympathies. 
After  describing  a  long  period  of  waiting  at  Mr. 
Fletcher's  she  proceeds  :  **we  sat  there  till  Secretary 
Murray  came  to  let  us  know  that  the  P.  was  at  leisure 
and  had  done  supper,  so  we  were  all  introduced  and  had 
the  honour  to  kiss  his  hand :  my  papa  was  fetched 
prisoner  to  do  the  same  and  so  was  Dr.  Deacon  :  Mr. 
Cattell  and  Mr.  Clayton  did  it  without :  the  latter  said 
Grace  for  him  :  then  we  went  out  and  drank  his  health 
in  the  other  room  etc."  On  December  ist  Miss  Byrom 
records  the  departure  of  the  Prince  on  his  southward 
journey  '*over  Cheadle  Ford." 

We  may  now  fill  up  one  or  two  gaps  in  this  narrative, 
and  endeavour  to  estimate  the  position  which  Thomas 
Deacon  occupied  with  regard  to  all  the  proceedings. 

The  "Manchester  Regiment,"  such  as  it  was,  was 
speedily  raised  and  was  mustered  in  the  churchyard  after 
divine  service  on  St.  Andrew's  Day,  the  officiating 
minister  being  Mr.  Shrigley,  the  Chaplain  for  that  week. 
Charles  Edward  had  nominated,  as  Commander  of  the 
Regiment,  Colonel  Francis  Townley,  a  Roman  Catholic 
of  ancient  family.  Townley  had  more  than  once  visited 
Manchester  with  a  view  of  exciting  sympathy  on  behalf 
of  the  Pretender,  and  of  obtaining  recruits.     He  is  said 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


109 


to  have  been  very  obnoxious  to  John  Byrom  on  account 
of  his  habit  of  profane  swearing,  and  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware 
quotes  an  impromptu  stanza  of  Byrom  addressed  to 
Townley  on  this  subject.^ 


O  that  the  muse  might  call  without  offence 

The  gallant  soldier  back  to  his  good  sense. 

His  temp'ral  field  so  cautious  not  to  lose 

So  careless  quite  of  his  eternal  foes. 

Soldier  !  so  tender  of  thy  prince's  fame, 

Why  so  profuse  of  a  superior  name  ? 

For  the  King's  sake  the  brunt  of  battles  bear, 

But — for  the  King  of  Kings'  sake — do  not  swear  ! 


As  to  the  officers  of  the  regiment  it  may  suffice  for 
our  present  purpose  to  quote  the  list  which  is  given  by 
James  Ray  on  page  241  of  his  "Rebellion."  ^ 

Colonel  :  Francis  Townley  of  Lancashire. 

Captains :  Peter  Moss,  James  Dawson  and  George 
Fletcher  of  Lancashire;  John  Saunderson  of  Northum- 
berland and  Andrew  Blood  of  Yorkshire. 

Lieutenants  :  Thomas  Deacon,  Robert  Deacon,  John 
Berwick  (Beswick),  John  Holker  of  Lancashire ;  Thomas 
Chadwick^  of  Staffordshire  and  Thomas  Furnival  of 
Cheshire. 

Ensigns :    Charles   Deacon,    Charles   Taylor,    James 

1.  "Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii,  p,  98. 

2.  The  colours  carried  in  the  Manchester  Regiment  bore  on  the  one 
side  the  words,  "  Liberty  and  Property,"  and  on  the  other,  "  Church  and 
Country." 

3.  Interesting  information  regarding  this  officer  is  to  be  found  in  the 
"  Jacobite  Papers,"  printed  for  the  Spalding  Club,  Vol.  ii.  Chadwick  is 
reported  "  to  have  contributed  greatly  to  the  amusement  of  the  Jacobite 
officers.  A  cultured  musician,  he  could  play  on  several  instruments,  and 
was  a  boon  companion  as  well  as  a  man  of  most  daring  resolution. 
During  his  confinement  he  always  took  the  lead  in  trying  to  amuse  and 
cheer  his  companions."     (Introduction,  p.   35.) 

Also  on  p.  441  of  the  same  work  :  "  In  the  Churches  at  Derby  and 
Lancaster  the  defendant  played  several  tunes  upon  the  organ.  Amongst 
others  that  commonly  called  '  The  29th  of  INIay,'  or  *  The  King  shall 
enjoy  his  own  acrain,'  which  made  him  much  esteemed  by  the  chief 
officers  of  the  rebels." 


no 


THOMAS   DEACON 


Wilding,  John  Betts  and  William  Bradshaw,  of  Lanca- 
shire :  John  Hunter  of  Northumberland  and  Samuel 
Maddox,  of  Cheshire. 

Adjutant :  Thomas  Syddall,  of  Lancashire. 

Captain  James  Dawson  was  the  hero  of  Shenstone's 
Poem,  and  was  a  near  relative  of  John  Byrom.  He  was 
the  son  of  William  Dawson,  apothecary  of  Manchester, 
and  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  who  was  daughter  of  Richard 
Allen  of  Redivales  in  Bury.  John  Byrom's  mother  and 
Richard  Allen  were  sister  and  brother,  being  children  of 
Captain  John  Allen. 

John  Beswick  was  also  connected  with  the  Byroms. 
William  Byrom  of  Manchester,  great  uncle  of  John 
Byrom,  married  in  1640  Rebecca,  daughter  of  John 
Beswick  of  Failsworth,  and  sister  of  the  Rev.  Charles 
Beswick,  rector  of  Radcliffe,  whose  name  is  still  in- 
scribed on  the  ancient  tower  of  St.  Mary's  Church  in 
that  town. 

The  officers  with  whom  we  are  specially  concerned 
are  the  three  sons  of  Thomas  Deacon.  Thomas  Theo- 
dorus,  the  eldest  of  the  three,  was  at  this  time  22  years 
of  age,  and  was  being  trained  for  the  medical  profession. 
Robert  Renatus,  the  second  son,  often  referred  to  by 
John  Byrom  as  ''Bobby,"  was  probably  not  robust,  as 
mention  is  made  of  his  illness  by  Byrom  on  several 
occasions.  Charles  Clement,  the  youngest  of  the 
unfortunate  brothers,  was  at  this  time  not  17  years  of 
age,  and  is  described  by  Byrom  in  his  Latin  Poem 
addressed  to  Lord  Harrington  (see  page  123)  as  Puer  et 
scholaris,  inscius  rerum.  This  latter  appellation  might 
well  be  given  to  all  who  joined  the  Manchester  Regiment 
at  a  time  when  the  fortunes  of  Charles  Edward  were 
already  hopeless. 

Thomas  Syddall,  Adjutant,  the  sharer  of  the  horrid 
fate  of  Thos.  Theodorus  Deacon,  son  of  Thomas 
Syddall  executed  in  the  '15,  was  a  devoted  friend  to  the 
Deacons.     On  the  journey  of  Mrs.  Deacon  to  London, 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  ^45  in 

described  on  page  78,  Syddall  acted  as  escort  to  the 
mother  and  the  three  lads  who  were  now  his  companions 
in  this  disastrous  expedition. ^  2 

It  is  time  to  enquire  as  to  Thomas  Deacon's  personal 
attitude  to  all  the  events  which  have  been  briefly 
sketched.  The  testimony  on  this  subject  is  very  con- 
flicting. John  Byrom's  account  is  given  in  a  shorthand 
letter  to  Mr.  Vigor,  who  was  styled  '*  Warden  of  Bristol" 
as  Deacon  was  "Warden  of  Manchester,"  the  title  of 
course  having  reference  to  the  Shorthand  Association. 
The  letter  is  dated  ist  of  March,  i7J|,  and  is  of  con- 
siderable length.  After  describing  the  arrival  of  the 
Prince  or  Pretender  in  Manchester  Byrom  proceeds^: 
"There  were  about  30  of  our  neighbours  that  listed  under 
him,  among  whom  three  sons  of  poor  Dr.  Deacon,  who 
engaged  without  their  father's  consent  as  I  am  told  and 
two  of  them  without  his  knowledge  :  his  own  opinion 
he  never  made  secret  of  but  has  done  nothing  in  his  own 
person  that  his  enemies  can  lay  hold  of  him  for,  though 
they  are  much  disposed  to  do  it." 

It  may  perhaps  be  contended,  not  without  reason,  that 
this  account  of  Byrom  is  the  more  likely  to  be  correct 
and  impartial  as  being  written  in  shorthand  to  an 
intimate  friend,  but  it  is  necessary  to  state  that  an 
entirely  different  version  of  the  events  is  given  in  an 
article  in  the  Supplement  to  the  Gentleman's  Magazine 
for  the  year  1746,  written  under  the  date  of  igth  Decem- 
ber, by  PhilopatricE,  who  was  undoubtedly  Josiah  Owen, 
Presbyterian  Minister  of  Blackwater  Street  Chapel, 
Rochdale.  This  passage  is  quoted  in  full  in  Appendix 
B,  page  193. 

Josiah  Owen  was  strongly  opposed  to  Deacon  and 
Byrom  both  on   religious  and  political  grounds.     We 

1.  Byrom's  "  Kemains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  260. 

2.  Syddall  was  described  by  Maddox  in  his  evidence  at  the  trial  as 
having  been  "the  busiest  of  anybody  at  Manchester  in  enlisting  men 
and  searching."     "Jacobite  Papers,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  442. 

3.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  412. 


112  THOMAS   DEACON 

shall  shortly  attempt  an  account  of  the  controversy  in 
which  Byrom  and  Owen  were  the  chief  combatants, 
although  the  real  cause  of  the  dispute  was  to  be  found 
in  the  suppxDsed  political  aims  of  Thomas  Deacon.  It 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  Owen  was  an  example  of 
all  that  a  controversialist  ought  not  to  be.  Personal 
attacks  of  a  somewhat  vulgar  nature,  together  with 
charges  against  his  opponents  unsupported  by  any 
evidence  whatever,  are  to  be  found  on  almost  every  page 
of  Owen's  pamphlets.  Thomas  Deacon's  position  was 
certainly  open  to  attack  both  from  the  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical jx)int  of  view,  and  it  was  also  not  by  any  means 
difficult  for  an  opponent  to  make  holes  in  the  armour  of 
John  Byrom,  but  Owen  was  not  the  man  for  this  task. 
I  presume  that  the  vast  majority  of  people  would  now 
agree  that  Owen  had  the  better  case,  but  he  was  a  much 
inferior  man  to  Byrom  and  Deacon,  both  in  intellectual 
power  and  in  controversial  methods. 

If  reference  is  made  to  the  passage  indicated  it  will 
be  seen  that  Owen  charges  Deacon  with  having  had  a 
"dispensation"  to  excuse  him  from  personal  participa- 
tion in  the  Rebellion.  The  charge  was  vague  and 
indefinite  and  Deacon  had  not  much  difficulty  in  repel- 
ling it  in  his  *' Vindication,"  published  in  the  Chester 
Courant,  26th  April,  1748  (see  page  197). 

Owen  also  made  another  serious  charge  against 
Deacon  in  his  pamphlet  "  Dr.  Deacon  Try'd  by  his  own 
Tribunal"  (see  page  200),  to  the  effect  that  his  second 
son  Robert  was  disinclined  to  join  the  Rebellion  and 
only  did  so  through  fear  of  his  father.  It  may  be  noted 
that  Thomas  Theodorus  Deacon  in  his  dying  speech 
referred  to  similar  rumours  in  connection  with  himself 
and  absolutely  denied  them.^ 

Now  if  we  put,  side  by  side,  these  widely  differing 
accounts  given  by  Byrom  and  Owen,  we  shall  find  that 
while  the  probabilities  are  all  on  the  side  of  Byrom 's 
1.    See  also  the  letter  of  T.  T.  Deacon  to  his  father,  quoted  on  p.  119. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  113 

story  being  the  most  credible,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
accept  all  his  statements  without  some  modification.  It 
is  impossible,  for  instance,  to  believe  that  any  of  the 
three  lads  engaged  in  the  affair  without  their  father's 
knowledge  and  consent.  On  the  other  hand,  Owen's 
story  as  to  Robert  Deacon  being  compelled  to  enlist 
may  be  dismissed  as  mere  rhetoric,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  about  his  charge  of  the  obtaining  of  a 
*'  dispensation." 

Thomas  Deacon  then,  it  may  be  said,  took  no  active 
or  personal  part  in  the  Rebellion,  but  he  was  called 
upon  to  suffer  to  a  bitter  degree  as  the  remainder  of 
this  story  will  show. 

On  Monday,  2nd  December,  Miss  Byrom  records  the 
excitement  created  by  news  of  the  King's  troops. 
"They  gathered  a  mob  together  and  by  degrees  they 
got  a  little  frightful  and  went  up  and  down  town 
threatening  to  pull  down  the  houses  of  them  that  are 
gone  with  them  :  papa  went  amongst  them  and  several 
gentlemen,  but  they  have  broke  Dr.  Deacon's  lamp  and 
windows."^  The  good  town  of  Manchester  must  have 
been  a  rough  place  at  this  period  for  on  the  gth  the 
Highlanders,  now  on  their  retreat  from  Derby,  were  in 
the  town  again.  They  left  on  the  loth,  and  Miss  Byrom 
records  an  incident  which  occurred  on  their  departure 
in  the  streets  of  Salford,  which  might  have  led  to  serious 
consequences.  A  shot  was  fired  at  the  last  of  the 
Highlanders  out  of  a  garret  window,  and  for  a  time  it 
seemed  probable  that  the  town  might  be  fired."  Deacon 
and  probably  Clayton  also,  found  it  advisable  to  be  out 
of  town  after  the  arrival  of  the  King's  forces.  Miss 
Byrom  has  two  records  which  give  us  some  information 
on  this  matter.  December  23rd,  "My  Lady  Lever  has 
seized  of  Dr.  Deacon's  goods  :  he  has  been  out  of  town 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  396. 

2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  400. 


ZZ4  THOMAS   DEACON 

since  before  the  King's  forces  came  in,  there  are  four 
children  at  Mrs.  Coats'  and  four  at  Lady  Lever's."^ 

January  ist,  17J*,  *'  The  Marquis  of  Grenville's 
Regiment  came  in  to-day  :  some  of  them  were  so  rude 
at  Dr.  Deacon's  that  he  went  out  of  town  again."  ^  On 
January  3rd,  Miss  Byrom  gives  an  account  of  a  riot 
which  took  place  in  consequence  of  the  "Presbyterians" 
(this  is  the  young  lady's  expression)  carrying  up  and 
down  effigies  of  the  Pretender  and  breaking  windows 
generally.  On  the  day  following  many  complaints  were 
made  to  the  Magistrates:  among  others,  "Lady  Lever 
went,  because  Dr.  Deacon's  house  was  hers,  but  they 
were  very  rude  to  her  and  told  her  Dr.  Deacon  was  a 
Jesuit  and  must  not  live  in  town,  if  she  would  meddle 
with  nobody,  nobody  would  meddle  with  her,  she  must 
sell  him  up,  give  him  warning  for  he  must  not  live  in 
town."  *  It  is  tolerably  easy  from  a  perusal  of  these 
entries  in  Miss  Byrom's  Journal  to  picture  the  course  of 
events.  Lady  Lever  was  evidently  the  owner  of 
Deacon's  house  in  Fennel  Street;  the  "seizing  of  his 
goods"  was  a  friendly  act  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  four  of  Deacon's  children  were  taken  to  Lady 
Lever's  house.  For  some  weeks  it  must  have  been  a 
dangerous  matter  for  Deacon  to  be  seen  in  town,  but 
the  excitement  soon  passed  away,  and  he  was  able  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  years,  if  not  in  peace  and 
happiness,  at  least  in  freedom  from  bodily  attacks. 

It  is  now  time  that  the  fate  of  the  "  Manchester 
Regiment"  should  be  related.  On  the  main  body  of 
Charles  Edward's  Army  reaching  Carlisle,  Colonel 
Francis    Townley  *    was    left    in    that    city,    with    the 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  404. 

2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  406. 

3.  Ibid.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  407. 

4.  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  had  he  (Townley)  been  Governor,  the 
place  would  have  held  out  to  the  very  last,  for  when  acquainted  with 
the  terms  of  capitulaticm  he  flew  into  a  great  passion  with  Colonel 
Hamilton,  declaring  that  it  was  better  to  die  with  the  sword  than 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  damned  Hanoverians."  (Introduction, 
p.  28,  "Jacobite  Papers,"  Vol.  ii. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  115 

remainder  of  his  regiment,  under  the  direction  of 
Hamilton,  the  Governor  of  the  place.  The  surrender 
to  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  made  on  30th  December, 
1745,  and  then  was  commenced  the  march  of  the 
prisoners  to  London,  which  ended  in  the  executions  on 
Kennington  Common  on  30th  July,  1746.  Robert 
Deacon  was  ill  at  the  surrender  of  Carlisle  and  was 
conveyed  southward  so  far  as  Kendal,  where  he  died. 
He  may  be  said  to  be  ** Felix  opportunitate  mortis** 
for  the  fate,  towards  which  his  brothers  Thomas  Theo- 
dorus  and  Charles  Clement  were  hastening,  was  awful 
in  the  one  case  and  calamitous  in  the  other.  I  shall 
pass  by  the  proceedings  in  London  in  connection  with 
the  trial  of  the  prisoners,  ^  but  will  quote  a  few  passages 
from  the  dying  speeches  of  some  of  those  with  whom 
this  memoir  has  special  concern. 

A  small  pamphlet  was  published  in  Edinburgh  in  the 
year  1750,  entitled,  "True  copies  of  the  dying  declara- 
tions of  Lord  Balmerino  and  others"*  (including 
Syddall,  Beswick,  and  Deacon).  Before  proceeding  to 
consider  some  of  these  speeches,  it  should  perhaps  be 
said  that  Charles  Clement  Deacon  on  account  of  his 

1.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  indictment  made  before  the  Special 
Commission  appointed  for  the  trial  of  the  prisoners  which  sat  at 
St.  Margaret's  Hall,  Southwark,  on  the  23rd  June,  1746.  I  quote  it 
from  p.  28  of  Vol.  ii.  of  the  "Jacobite  Papers": — "Not  liaving 
the  fear  of  God  in  their  hearts,  not  having  any  regard  for  the  duty  of 
their  allegiance,  but  being  moved  and  seduced  by  the  instigation  of  the 
devil,  as  false  traitors  and  rebels  against  our  present  Sovereign  Lord, 
the  King,  their  Supreme,  true,  natural,  lawful  and  undoubted  Sovereign 
Lord,  entirely  withdrawing  that  cordial  love,  true  and  due  obedience, 
fidelity  and  allegiance  which  every  subject  of  right  ought  to  bear 
towards  our  said  present  Sovereign  Lord  the  King;  also  devising  (and 
as  much  as  in  them  lay)  most  wickedly  and  traitorously  intending  to 
change  and  subvert  the  rule  and  government  of  this  Kingdom — and  also 
to  put  and  bring  our  said  present  Sovereign  Lord,  the  King,  to  death 
and  to  destruction,  and  to  raise  and  exalt  the  person  pretended  to  be 
the  Prince  of  Wales  (during  the  life  of  the  late  King  James  II.  of 
England)  to  the  Crown  and  Royal  State  and  dignity  of  King,  and  to  the 
imperial  rule  and  government  of  this  Kingdom." 

2.  What  appears  to  be  a  complete  copy  of  this  pamphlet  is  to  be 
found  in  the  British  Museum.  An  abbreviated  copy  is  also  in  the 
Manchester  Reference  Library,  from  which  is  omitted,  among  other 
things,  the  remarkable  postcript  to  T.  T.  Deacon's  speech. 


xz6 


THOMAS  DEACON 


extreme  youth  was  left  in  gaol  for  further  consideration 
of  his  sentence.  He  parted  from  his  elder  brother  on 
the  morning  of  30th  July  when  the  latter  was  taken  for 
execution  to  Kennington  Common.^  The  speech  of 
T.  T.  Deacon  is  a  long  and  very  uncompromising  com- 
position. 

"  The  deluded  and  infatuated  vulgar  will  no  doubt 
brand  my  death  with  all  the  infamy  that  ignorance 
and  prejudice  can  suggest :  but  the  thinking  few  who 
have  not  forsaken  their  duty  to  God  and  their  King  will, 
I  am  persuaded,  look  upon  it  as  being  little  inferior  to 
Martyrdom  itself.  I  am  just  going  to  fall  a  sacrifice 
to  the  resentment  and  revenge  of  the  Elector  of  Hanover 
and  all  those  who  have  espoused  the  cause  of  a  German 
usurper  and  withdrawn  their  allegiance  from  their  only 
rightful,  lawful,  and  native  Sovereign  King  James  HI. 
I  profess  I  die  a  member,  not  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
nor  yet  of  England,  but  of  a  pure  Episcopal  Church 
which  has  reformed  all  the  errors,  corruptions,  and 
defects,  that  have  been  introduced  into  the  modern 
Churches  of  Christendom  :  a  Church  which  is  in  perfect 
communion  with  the  ancient  and  universal  Church  of 
Christ  by  adhering  uniformly  to  Antiquity,  Universality, 
and  Consent :  that  glorious  principle  which  if  once 
strictly  and  impartially  pursued,  would,  and  which  alone 
can,  remove  all  the  distractions  and  unite  all  the  divided 
branches  of  the  Christian  Church.  This  truly  Catholic 
principle  is  agreed  to  by  all  Churches,  Eastern  and 
Western,  Popish  and  Protestant,  and  yet  unhappily  is 
practised  by  none  but  the  Church  in  whose  Holy 
Communion  I  have  the  happiness  to  die.  May  God  of 
His  great  mercy  daily  increase  the  members  thereof,  and 
if  any  would  enquire  into  its  primitive  constitutions  T 
would  refer  them  to  our  Common  Prayer  Book,  which 
is  entitled,  '*A  Compleat  Collection  of  Devotions,  both 

1.  It  is  stated  on  p.  37  of  the  Introduction  to  the  **  Jacobite  Papers" 
that  "  Charles  was  compelled  to  witness  his  brother's  execution,"  but  the 
point  does  not  appear  to  be  established  with  certainty. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  *45  117 

publick  and  private  :  taken  from  the  Apostolical  Con- 
stitutions, the  ancient  liturgies  and  the  Common  Prayer 
Book  of  the  Church  of  England :  printed  at  London  in 
the  year  1734.*'  I  solemnly  affirm  that  malicious  report 
to  be  false  and  groundless  which  hath  been  spread 
merely  with  a  design  to  involve  my  relations  in  incon- 
veniences, 'that  I  engaged  in  this  affair  through  their 
persuasion,  instigation,  or  even  compulsion.'  On  the 
contrary,  I  was  always  determined  to  take  the  first 
opportunity  of  performing  my  indispensable  duty  to  my 
Prince,  which  accordingly  I  did,  without  consulting  or 
being  advised  to  it  by  any  friend  on  earth. 

Lord  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge ! 

Lord  have  mercy  on  me  ! 

Christ  have  mercy  on  me  ! 
Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit !  "  ^ 

P.S. — **As  the  world  may  very  probably  expect  I 
should  give  some  particular  account  of  the  Prince  under 
w^hom  I  had  the  happiness  to  serve  in  the  field,  and  in 
whose  Father's  cause  I  have  the  honour  to  die,  I  must 
beg  leave  to  assure  you  that  it  is  a  task  too  difficult  for 
a  Demosthenes  or  a  Cicero  to  perform  with  justice.  I 
shall  only  say  that  I  have  lived  long  enough  and  to  good 
purp>ose  since  I  have  done  my  duty  under  the  banner  of 
a  young  Prince  who  richly  deserves  what  he  is  contend- 
ing for." 

A  note  at  the  end  of  this  P.S.  states  that  it  was  added 
on  the  morning  of  the  execution.  What  is  to  be 
thought  of  a  man  who  could  within  a  few  hours  of  a 
horrible  death  compose  a  flamboyant  note  of  this 
description  ! 

Thomas   Syddall's   declaration   contains  exactly   the 

1.  The  version  of  T.  T.  Deacon's  speech  given  as  paper  43  of  the 
Jacobite  Papers,  page  615,  is  an  abbreviation,  the  reference  to  the  "  Pure 
Episcopal  Church  "  being  omitted. 


Ii8 


THOMAS  DEACON 


same  statement,  word  for  word,  of  his  religious  position 
as  is  found  in  the  speech  of  T.  T.  Deacon.  It  is 
certainly  probable  that  this  profession  of  faith  was 
drawn  up  for  them  by  Thomas  Deacon  himself,  but 
there  are  touches  of  individuality  in  Syddall's  speech, 
as  well  as  in  the  one  just  quoted,  which  forbid  us  to 
think  that  the  unfortunate  men  had  no  share  in  the 
composition  of  their  dying  speeches.  Syddall  thanks 
God  that  he  follows  the  example  of  his  father,  denies 
that  he  was  moved  by  any  wicked  motives  of  revenge, 
and  states  that  he  had  no  personal  interest  in  the  taking 
of  this  step,  "being  easy  in  his  circumstances  and  blest 
with  wife  and  children.*' 

Of  the  others,  Andrew  Blood  professed  himself  a 
member  of  the  Roman  Church  :  Thomas  Chadwick  of 
the  Church  of  England,  **  as  it  stood  before  the 
Revolution"  :  and  Fletcher  and  Beswick  simply  of  the 
Church  of  England.  The  speech  of  "J^"^n^y  Dawson'* 
is  written  in  a  simple  and  affecting  style,  and  his 
memory  has  been  preserved  by  Shenstone's  beautiful 
little  ballad. 

The  execution  was  conducted  in  the  most  barbarous 
manner,  so  much  that  the  details  would  be  offensive 
to  the  modern  ear,  but  may  be  inferred  from  the  follow- 
ing quotation.  Dawson's  sweetheart  accompanied  him 
to  the  place  of  execution. 

**  She  followed  him,  prepared  to  view 
The  terrible  behests  of  law  : 
And  the  last  scene  of  Jemmy's  woes 
With  calm  and  steadfast  eye  she  saw. 


And  ravished  was  that  constant  heart 
She  did  to  every  heart  prefer : 

For  tho'  it  could  its  King  forget, 
'Twas  true  and  loyal  still  to  her. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  119 

Amid  those  unrelenting  flames, 

She  bore  this  constant  heart  to  see  : 

But  when  'twas  mouldered  into  dust, 
Yet,  yet,  she  cry'd,  I  follow  thee. 

The  dismal  scene  was  o*er  and  past, 
The  lovers*  mournful  hearse  retired : 

The  maid  drew  back  her  languid  head. 
And  sighing  forth  his  name,  expir*d.** 

Two  interesting  letters  may  be  appropriately  trans- 
cribed in  this  place  from  the  Kenyon  MSS. 

No.  1220.     Page  476. 

Thomas  Theodorus  Deacon  to  his  father,  Dr.  Deacon, 
at  Manchester. 

*'i746,  July  29th,  London.  Before  you  receive  this 
I  hope  to  be  in  Paradise,  not  that  I  have  the  least 
right  to  expect  it  from  any  merit  of  my  own,  or  the 
goodness  of  my  past  life,  but  merely  through  the 
intercession  of  my  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  a  sincere 
and  hearty  repentance  of  all  my  sins,  the  variety  of 
punishments  I  have  suffered  since  I  saw  you,  and  the 
death  which  I  shall  die  to-morrow,  which  I  trust  in 
God  will  be  some  small  atonement  for  my  transgres- 
sions, and  to  which  I  think  I  am  almost  confident  I 
shall  submit  with  all  the  resignation  and  cheerfulness 
that  a  true  pious  Christian  and  a  brave  loyal  soldier 
can  wish.  I  hope  you  will  do  my  character  so  much 
justice  (and  if  you  think  proper  make  use  of  this)  as 
absolutely  to  contradict  that  false  and  malicious  report 
which  has  been  spread  only  by  my  enemies,  in  hopes 
it  might  be  of  prejudice  to  you  and  your  family  : 
viz.,  that  I  was  persuaded  and  compelled  by  you  to 
engage  contrary  to  my  own  inclination.  I  send  my 
tenderest  love  to  all  the  dear  children  and  beg 
Almighty  God  to  bless  you  and  them  in  this  world 
and  grant  us  all  a  happy  meeting  in  that  to  come.     I 


120 


THOMAS  DEACON 


shall  leave  directions  with  Charles  to  send  them  some 
trifle  whereby  to  remember  me.  Pray  excuse  my 
naming  any  particular  friends  for  there  is  no  end,  but 
give  my  hearty  service  and  best  wishes  to  them  all  in 
general.  Mr.  Syddall  is  very  well  and  sends  his 
sincere  compliments,  but  does  not  choose  to  write. 
He  behaves  as  well  as  his  best  friends  can  wish.  My 
uncle  has  behaved  to  me  in  such  a  manner  as  cannot 
be  paralleled  but  by  yourself.  I  know  I  shall  have 
your  prayers  without  asking,  which  I  am  satisfied  will 
be  of  infinite  service." 

No.  i22oa. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  the  Clergyman  who  attended 
upon  Mr.  Syddall  and  Mr.  Deacon. 
End  of  July,  1746.  "  Their  behaviour  at  Divine 
Worship  was  always  with  great  reverence,  attention, 
and  piety;  but  had  you,  sir,  been  present  the  last  day 
that  I  attended  them,  your  soul  would  have  been 
ravished  with  the  fervour  of  their  devotions.  From 
the  time  of  their  condemnation  a  decent  cheerfulness 
constantly  appeared  in  their  countenance  and  behavi- 
our, and  I  believe  it  may  be  truly  said  that  no  men 
ever  suffered  in  a  righteous  cause  with  greater  mag- 
nanimity, and  more  Christian  fortitude,  for  the 
appearance  and  near  approach  of  a  violent  death, 
armed  with  the  utmost  terror  of  pains  and  torments 
made  no  impression  of  dread  upon  their  minds.  In 
a  word,  great  is  the  honour  they  have  done  the 
Church,  the  King,  yourself,  and  themselves,  and  may 
their  example  be  imitated  by  all  that  suffer  in  the  same 
cause.  This  short  and  faithful  account  of  our 
martyred  friends,  I  hope  sir,  will  yield  great  consola- 
tion to  yourself  and  poor  Mrs.  Syddall.  Poor  dear 
Mr.  Charles  bears  in  a  commendable  manner  his  great 
loss  and  other  afflictions,  and  behaves  like  a  man  and 
a  good  Christian  in  all  his  actions." 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


121 


It  may  be. taken  for  granted  that  the  writer  of  this 
letter  was  one  of  the  non-juring  clergy  who  acknow- 
ledged Thomas  Deacon  as  their  bishop,  and  it  is 
possible  to  identify  him  with  the  "Mr.  Creake,"  who 
is  said  by  Lathbury  to  have  assisted  the  prisoners  in  the 
preparation  of  their  speeches.^ 

It  is  impossible  to  acquit  the  Government  of  senseless 
and  savage  brutality  in  the  treatment  of  the  officers  of 
the  Manchester  Regiment.  It  may  be  granted  that 
severe  punishment  was  due  to  Francis  Townley,  who 
was  a  man  of  affairs,  and  had  acted  with  deliberate 
purpose,  but  to  execute  and  mutilate  such  ignorant  and 
simple  men  as  Syddall,  Dawson,  and  T.  T.  Deacon  was 
little  short  of  murder.  The  cause  which  they  had 
espoused  was  irretrievably  lost  before  they  joined  it, 
and  the  occasion  was  eminently  one  for  the  exercise  of 
a  wise  and  tolerant  clemency. 

A  few  weeks  later,  on  September  22nd,  the  heads  of 
Thomas  Theodorus  Deacon  and  Thomas  Syddall  were 
brought  to  Manchester  and  fixed  upon  the  Exchange. 
This  public  exhibition  of  barbarism  was  followed  by  a 
very  violent  controversy  which  will  shortly  be  described, 
but  we  may  now  relate  the  story  of  Charles  Clement, 
the  only  survivor  of  the  three  brothers.  John  Byrom 
laboured  unceasingly  on  behalf  of  this  unfortunate  lad 
who  remained  in  prison  for  many  months.  It  is  stated 
in  a  note  to  Byrom's  ''Remains, "^  that  although  Byrom 
was  not  successful  in  obtaining  the  lad's  freedom,  **yet 
there  can  be  no  doubt  the  life  of  the  poor  boy  Charles 
Deacon  was  rescued  from  the  fangs  of  a  vindictive 
Government  through  the  intercession  of  his  father's 
faithful  friend."  I  doubt  whether  this  statement  is 
strictly  accurate.  It  is  more  true  to  say  that  the 
Government  never  intended  to  execute  the  lad  but  was 
determined  on  his  transportation.     Byrom  was  not  able 

1.  Lathbury's  "  History  of  Non-Jurors,"  p.  389. 

2.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  444. 


122 


THOMAS  DEACON 


to  influence  the  authorities  from  this  decision,  and 
practically  acknowledges  his  failure  in  a  letter  to  his 
daughter  Dorothy,  written  August  4th,  1748.  **  I  have 
not  such  good  hopes  as  I  had  of  the  young  boy  being 
set  at  liberty — he  has  some  enemies  or  other  that  have 
represented  him  in  so  ill  a  light,  etc."^  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter  of  Byrom  to  his  wife,  i8th  June, 
1748,  may  be  of  interest.  **  On  the  loth  June  I  had 
been  asked  to  meet  Mr.  Folkes  at  Mr.  Chas.  Stanhope's, 
where  I  found  likewise  Lord  Lonsdale,  Duke  of 
Montague,  and  Mr.  Stanhope's  brother.  Lord  Harring- 
ton, with  whom  we  passed  the  dinner  and  an  hour  or 
two  very  agreeably.  They  asked  me  a  great  many 
questions  about  the  Pretender  and  circumstances  when 
he  was  in  Manchester,  etc.,  and  I  told  them  what  I 
knew  and  thought  without  any  reserve,  and  took  the 
opportunity  of  setting  some  matters  in  a  truer  light 
than  I  suppose  they  had  heard  them  placed  in,  and  put 
in  now  and  then  a  word  or  two  in  favour  of  the  prisoners, 
especially  Charles  Deacon."  On  the  following  day, 
Byrom  was  again  at  dinner  with  Mr.  Stanhope,  and  on 
this  occasion  met,  in  addition  to  Lord  Harrington  and 
other  great  people,  the  Duke  of  Richmond  whom  Byrom 
describes,  with  that  touch  of  sarcasm  which  is  not  often 
wanting  in  his  references  to  the  Whig  Government,  as 
*'one  of  our  present  Kings." ^  The  Duke  was  one  of 
the  Lord  Justices  for  the  administration  of  the  Govern- 
ment during  the  absence  from  the  country  of  George  H. 
Byrom  had  written  some  Latin  verses  addressed  to  Lord 
Harrington  on  behalf  of  Charles  Deacon,  and  he  had 
hoped  that  the  Duke  might  also  have  read  them,  but 
the  opportunity  was  not  favourable.  On  14th  July, 
however,  Byrom  was  at  the  Duke  of  Richmond's  house 
in  London  to  breakfast.  There  was  an  eclipse  of  the 
sun  on  that  day,  and  Byrom  describes  how  they  **peeped 
through  glasses  at  it." 

1.  Byrom's  "Remaina,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  455.         2.  Ibid.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  448. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


123 


**  I  spoke  to  the  D.  of  Richmond  about  Chas.  D., 
but  he  answered  my  sayings  with  the  father  and  son 
not  repenting,  and  that  God  himself  did  not  pardon 
without  rei>entance,  to  which  I  did  not  care  to  give 
the  reply  for  fear  of  exasperating.'*^ 

No  further  progress  was  made  and  on  the  nth 
January,  1749,  Charles  Deacon  was  conveyed  from  the 
new  gaol,  Southwark,  to  Gravesend,  for  transportation 
during  life. 

A  few  of  the  Latin  verses  may  perhaps  be  quoted : — 
Parce,  plaudentis,  Vicerex  lernes, 

Carol i  fratris  gratia,  poetae, 
Si  quid  extemplo,  tibi  carmen  ausus 
Cudere  peccet 


Tres  erant,  nolim  nisi  vera  fari, 

Tres  erant  fratres  mera  quos  juventus 
Nuper  abrepit,  gladiisque  cinxit 
Morte  luendis. 

Unus  in  vinclis  periit  priusquam 

Carcerum  posset  loculis  novorum 
Aeger  inferri,  febris  et  quadrigae 
Motubus  impar. 

Alter  ejusdem  socio  ^  reatus 

Teste,  damnatur,  moritur,  caputque 
Nos  apud,  mori  nimium  ferendo, 
Flebile  prostat. 

Tertius  jam  tum  puer  et  scholaris, 
Inscius  rerum,  ferulae  pupillus, 
Arma  pro  pomis  capiens,  suis  se 
Fratribus  addit 


1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  451. 

2.  This  refers  to  Samuel  Maddox   (see  p.  110),  who  turned  King's 
evidence  at  the  trial  of  the  rebels  in  London. 


124  THOMAS   DEACON 

Ille,  Magnates,  meus  est  et  ille 

Civis,  et  vestrum  petere  incitavit 
Indoles,  magni  sitis  O,  meoque 
Parcite  civi. 


This  last  verse  is  finely  rendered  in  the  translation 
which  Byrom  supplied  for  his  daughter  Dorothy.^ 

'*  He  is  my  countryman,  my  noble  Lords, 
And  room  for  hope  your  genius  affords. 
Be  truly  noble  :  hear  a  well  meant  prayer 
And  deign  my  fellow  citizen  to  spare.'* 

Byrom 's  deep  religious  feeling  and  love  for  his  native 
town  should  be  noted  in  the  concluding  stanza. 

"  Det  Deus  cunctae  bona  quaeque  genti :  . 

Hisce  presertim  Britones  fruantur  :  / 

Detque  postremum  populo  salutem  / 

Mancuniensi." 

We  now  return  to  the  consideration  of  affairs  in 
Manchester.  The  placing  of  the  heads  of  Deacon  and 
Syddall  on  the  Exchange  immediately  led  to  a  renewal 
of  excitement.  Thomas  Deacon  made  a  public  act  of 
reverence  to  the  memory  of  his  son  by  removing  his  hat 
and  bowing  to  the  poor  remains  of  humanity  (see 
Appendix  B,  page  187).  This  innocent  and  natural 
action  was  a  cause  of  a  fresh  outbreak  of  political 
feeling.  Few  could  now  be  found  who  would  not 
applaud  Byrom's  remarks  expressed  in  his  ready  rhyme. 

**  What  wretch  can  blame  thee  for  respect  that's  paid 
Parental  piety  to  filial  shade? 
If  putting  off  the  hat  demands  a  scoff 
What  does  humanity  and  brains  put  off?" 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  455. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


125 


But  charges  were  immediately  raised  of  the  worship 
of  "skull  gods,"  etc.,  and  on  the  9th  of  October,  a  day- 
appointed  for  a  Public  Thanksgiving,  the  Military  in 
the  town  evidently  considered  matters  so  critical  as  to 
warrant  them  despoiling  the  house  occupied  by  the 
w^idow  of  Thomas  Syddall,  who  had  neglected  to 
illuminate  her  windows.  On  this  day  also  a  sermon 
was  preached  by  Josiah  Owen  at  Rochdale,  entitled, 
"All  is  well:  The  defeat  of  the  late  Rebellion,  etc." 
Owen  was  not  a  man  to  pour  oil  on  troubled  waters,  as 
the  following  passage  of  a  comparatively  mild  character 
will  show.  "A  Rebellion  fomented  by  the  professed 
enemies  of  our  liberties,  our  religion,  and  our  country, 
and  headed  not  by  the  Son  of  a  Prince,  but  the  Son  of 
a  Stranger,  by  the  Son  of  one  who,  from  the  best 
historical  evidence  we  can  gather,  is  as  far  from  having 
the  blood  royal  in  his  veins  as  Heaven  is  from  Hell,  or 
Rome  from  Infallibility  :  a  rebellion  nursed  by  ignor- 
ance and  superstition,  that  set  up  barbarity  for  its 
standard  and  made  dreadful  havoc  of  those  birthrights 
it  pretended  to  assert  and  vindicate  :  a  most  horrid  and 
unnatural   rebellion   this   indeed !  " 

The  next  stage  in  the  controversy  was  another  sermon, 
"  preached  in  St.  Ann's  Church,  Manchester,  2nd 
November,  1746,  being  the  Sunday  after  All  Saints* 
Day,  by  Benjn.  Nicholls,  M.A.,  Assistant  Curate  of  the 
said  Church  and  Chaplain  to  the  Rt.  Hon.  The  Earl  of 
Uxbridge."  The  sermon  was  entitled  "  False  claims 
to  Martyrdom  considered."  Speaking  of  the  executed 
officers,  Mr.  Nicholls  said,  "They  suffered,  but  for  what? 
— not  for  religion,  nor  righteousness,  but  for  the  wicked 
consequences  of  a  prejudiced  attachment  to  an  erroneous 
principle  which  has  long  been  exploded  .  .  .  Sorry  we 
may  be  for  the  untimely  end  of  our  fellow  creatures,  but 
to  honour  them  with  the  title  of  Martyrdom  for  public 
offences  is  to  disgrace  the  character  and  to  blaspheme 
our    religion."      Mr.    Nicholls    referred,    in    terms    of 


126 


THOMAS  DEACON 


strong  condemnation,  to  the  outward  signs  of  respect 
paid  to  the  heads,  and  apparently  inferred  that  the  souls 
of  the  rebels  were  beyond  all  hope  of  salvation.  This 
sermon  was  bitterly  resented  by  the  Jacobite  party  in 
Manchester,  and  appears  to  have  been  particularly 
offensive  to  John  Byrom.  An  article  appeared  in  the 
Chester  Courant  of  nth  November,  1746,  in  which  the 
writer  commented  very  strongly  on  an  account  of  the 
state  of  affairs  in  Manchester,  which  had  been  given  in 
a  letter  to  the  Whitehall  Evening  Post  of  October  nth 
(see  Appendix  B,  page  189).  This  was  followed  by  a 
violent  outburst  from  Owen  in  the  Manchester  Magazine 
of  November  25th,  in  which  he  charges  Deacon  with 
adopting  politics  into  his  religion  (page  192).  Deacon 
made  his  defence  in  the  Chester  Courant  of  Tuesday, 
December  9th  (see  page  192).  It  should  be  noted  that, 
although  the  controversy  was  principally  between 
Byrom  and  Owen,  and  Deacon  took  a  very  secondary 
part,  yet  the  whole  matter  in  dispute  centred  round  the 
position  and  principles  of  Thomas  Deacon  as  a  non- 
juring  bishop.  This  is  made  perfectly  clear  by  the  next 
item  in  the  controversy,  which  was  an  article  by  Owen 
in  the  supplement  to  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  the 
year  1746.  This  was  the  famous  article  in  which  Owen 
makes  the  main  charges  against  Deacon  to  which 
reference  has  frequently  been  made  in  these  pages  (see 
page  193).  But  Byrom  was  preparing  a  much  more 
serious  attack  on  the  principles  of  Nicholls*  sermon  of 
November  2nd,  and  this  appeared  in  a  long  poetical 
"Epistle  to  a  Friend*'  which  was  published  early  in 
1747.  The  verses  which  appear  in  the  Preface  will 
indicate  Byrom 's  main  purpose. 


**  Out  of  the  Church,  to  fix  our  English  doom. 
There's  no  salvation,  say  some  Priests  of  Rome. 
Out  of  the  State,  some  English  Priests,  as  mad, 
Affirm  there's  no  salvation  to  be  had. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  127 

The  same  poor  bigotry,  on  either  side, 
Would  make  Salvation  float  upon  the  tide. 
Alike  the  Smithfield  and  the  Tyburn  flame. 
For  neither  Pope  nor  Parliament  can  damn.** 

It  was  in  this  epistle  that  Byrom  made  an  attack  on 
Owen  which  was  hardly  excusable,  irritating  as  Owen's 
methods  of  controversy  undoubtedly  were. 

**  Leave  to  the  low-bred  O — ns  of  the  age 
Sense  to  belie  and  loyalty  to  rage, 
Wit  to  make  treason  of  each  cry  and  chat 
And  eyes  to  see  false  worship  in  a  hat. 
Wisdom  and  love  to  construe  heart  and  mien, 
By  the  new  Gospel  of  a  Magazine.** 

The  reference  to  the  "Magazine**  is  of  course  to  the 
Manchester  Magazine  published  by  R.  Whitworth,  the 
organ  of  the  Whig  party.  The  Tories  had  perforce  to 
take  to  the  Chester  Courant, 

It  could  hardly  be  expected  that  Owen  would  remain 
quiet  under  accusations  of  this  kind,  and  accordingly 
there  appeared  in  this  same  year  1747,  or  early  in  the 
succeeding  year,  a  pamphlet  entitled  "Jacobite  and 
Non-juring  Principles  freely  examined  in  a  letter  to  the 
'Master  Tool  of  the  Faction  in  Manchester.*  **  The 
"Master  Tool'*  was  of  course  John  Byrom, ^  but  Deacon 
also  received  considerable  attention  from  the  hands  of 
this  doughty  controversialist,  whose  state  of  mind  may 
be  gathered  from  the  following  passage  taken  from  the 
preface :  — 

"  I  have  somewhere  read  of  an  order  of  Hottentots 
where  the  person  installed  is  plentifully  bespattered  in  a 
very  ungenteel  and  indecent  manner :  which  he  receives 

1.  The  writer  of  the  article  on  Josiah  Owen  in  the  Diet,  of  Nat. 
Biography,  is  in  error  in  etating  that  Deacon  was  designated  the 
"  Master  Tool "  by  Uwen. 


128 


THOMAS   DEACON 


with  great  alacrity,  as  the  more  indecency,  the  more 
honour.  In  a  light  somewhat  analogous  to  this  I  con- 
sider your  treatment  of  me  in  a  late  '  Epistle  to  a 
Friend.'  The  more  abuse,  the  more  honour,  the  more 
scurrility  you  have  given  vent  to,  the  more  distinction 
you  have  paid  me.  I  dare  tell  you  that  our  present 
government  has  enemies  and  what  kind  of  men  they 
are.  Be  it  at  Bologne  or  Avignon  or  whatever  other 
place  that  your  vagrant  Idol  keeps  up  the  mock  state  of 
a  court,  I  dare  tell  you  that  the  Man  who  visits  it  to 
procure  an  absolution  for  having  abjured  Popery  and 
the  Pretender  and  sworn  allegiance  to  King  George  and 
yet  calls  himself  a  good  Protestant  and  a  good  subject, 
either  affronts  other  men's  understanding  or  betrays  the 
weakness  of  his  own." 

This  was  a  shrewd  hit  at  the  incident  in  Byrom's  life 
to  which  reference  has  been  made  on  page  58. 

But  the  most  extraordinary  portion  of  Owen's  pam- 
phlet is  that  which  is  contained  in  the  following  passage. 

**You  undoubtedly  know  and  'tis  fit  that  every  Briton 
should  know  that  your  Manchester  friends,  well  affected 
ones  be  sure  !  have  been  carrying  on  a  secret  correspon- 
dence with  Rome  in  order  to  rivet  her  chains  upon 
British  necks  and  establish  the  worship  of  her  "Puppet 
Show  Gods  "  in  Britain.  This  has  appeared  from  a 
very  extraordinary  letter  found  among  the  papers  of  one 
of  the  Fellows  of  the  Manchester  Collegiate  Church, 
lately  deceased ;  tho'  the  particular  contents  of  none  but 
this  have  transpired,  many  more  papers  of  the  like  ten- 
dency are  acknowledged  to  have  been  found  on  the  same 
occasion.  The  letter  had  no  superscription  :  and  who 
would  imagine  that  so  dangerous  a  correspondence 
should,  where  there  were  any  private  ways  of  convey- 
ance? But  it  was  dated  at  Rome  October  1746,  which 
was  some  time  after  the  extinction  of  the  late  Rebellion, 
and  was  wrote  by  your  most  Holy  Father  the  Pope's 
direction   and  subscribed   O'Brian.     It  abounded  with 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45  129 

compliments  and  expressions  of  condolence :  but  the 
purport  of  the  whole  was  'that  his  Holiness  was  very 
sensible  of  the  sufferings  and  distresses  of  the  Man- 
chester friends,  was  well  pleased  with  the  zeal  and 
services  of  his  partizans  amongst  the  Manchester  Clergy, 
but  could  by  no  means  admit  of  a  schism  in  the 
Church.'  " 

The  first  comment  to  be  made  on  this  extraordinary 
statement  is  that  no  confirmation  is  forthcoming  from 
any  source.  On  the  other  hand  Edward  Byrom,  eldest 
son  of  John  Byrom,  writing  to  his  father  on  7th  May, 
1748,  refers  as  follows  to  the  second  edition  of  Owen's 
book.  ''There  are  several  new  and  curious  things  in  it, 
amongst  the  rest  a  correspondence  carried  on  betwixt 
the  Manchester  Clergy  and  the  Pope  relating  to  a  letter 
which  was  found  among  Mr.  Cattell's  books.  You  may 
perhaps  remember  that  all  the  Clergy  at  the  Old  Church 
had  every  one  letters  sent  to  them  from  the  Pope's 
Secretary  some  time  since,  though  they  were  forged  in 
London."  ^ 

Owen's  charge  practically  amounted  to  this  :  Deacon, 
with  the  Fellows  of  the  Collegiate  Church  had  written 
to  the  Pope  craving  to  be  admitted  into  the  Church  of 
Rome  :  replies  had  been  received  by  them  through  the 
Pope's  legate,  and  on  the  death  of  Thomas  Cattell  a 
copy  of  this  paper  was  found  among  his  books.  Dr. 
Hibbert-Ware^  was  disposed  to  think  that  there  might 
be  some  foundation  for  the  charge,  but  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  he  expressly  refuses  credit  to  the  story  from  Owen's 
statement  alone.  He  considered  that  in  the  "letter  to 
the  Clergy  of  Manchester,"  which  is  attributed  to 
Thomas  Perceval  of  Royton  Hall,  and  in  the  curious 
"Dialogue  between  Mr.True-Blewand  Mr.  Whig-Love" 
(probably  by  the  same  author)  some  additional  confirma- 
tion of  the  story  was  to  be  found.     I  have  carefully  read 

1.  Byrom's  "Bemains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  438. 

2.  "Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii,  pp.  142-145. 


130 


THOMAS   DEACON 


these  two  pamphlets  (which  are  briefly  described  below) 
but  I  cannot  find  the  slightest  trace  of  independent 
evidence  in  favour  of  Owen's  story.  Mr.  Perceval  had 
certainly  read  Owen's  book  and  had  possibly  heard  some 
gossip  on  the  subject,  but  there  is  no  sign  of  anything 
more.  All  that  is  required  of  a  historian  in  these  cases 
is  to  enquire  into  the  validity  of  the  evidence  and  to 
balance  the  probabilities.  In  this  particular  case  the 
statement  of  Edward  Byrom  that  the  letters  were  forged 
is  to  be  set  against  Owen's  assumption  of  their  validity  : 
and  while  it  is  improbable  that  such  negotiations  were 
ever  conducted  it  is  certain  that  the  report  once  started 
would  acquire  easy  credence  and  would  not  lose  anything 
in  being  handed  on  from  mouth  to  mouth.  I  give  below 
a  full  copy  of  the  letter  as  it  was  found  in  Cattell's  books. 

T^        o     ^    c-  **October  7th,  1746. 

Dear  Revd.  Sir, 

I  have  the  honour  and  happiness  to  bee  his  holiness 

Vice  Legate  from  rome  to  London.     I  have  reed  his 

orders  to  return  his  thanks  for  your  and  the  rest  of 

your  revd.  body's  firm  atchment  and  principles  in  our 

holy  cause  and  tho'  wee  have  not  had  the  Sucksess 

this  time  wee  are  in  hopes  it  will  soon  bee  effected, 

hee  hath  often  heard  grate  commendations  of  all  your 

reverand  body  and  the  good  principles  you  have  all 

of  you  instructded  your  town  in,  hee  recommends  your 

continuence  in  the  same  and  as  a  reward  for  your 

faithful  Servisses,   hee  receives  your  reverend  body 

into  our  holy  church,  and  hee  conjures  you  and  the 

rest  of  your  body  that  you   pray   no   more   for  the 

Elector  of  hannover  and  his  family  uppon  pain  of 

incuring  our  holy  Displeasure,   let  the  consequence 

Bee  what  it  will  for  you  may  depend  on  our  protection 

to  reward  you  in  this  life  and  in  our  Lady's  kingdom, 

and  you  may  acquaint  your  towns  mens  friends  that 

his  holiness  as  a  reward  for  their  merit  will  canonize 

and  rank   them   with   the   first   Class  of   martyrs   in 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


131 


heaven  and  in  his  Callinder.  I  have  no  Sertain  acct 
of  our  Prince  beeing  got  safe  back  to  France,  I  have 
nothing  further  at  present :  but  recomend  you  to  our 
holy  lady's  keeping  from 

Yours 

C.  O.  Brian. 
Had  our  prince  Suckseded  his  holiness  would  have 
raisd  your  Church  and  reverand  body  to  grate  Dig- 
nitys." 

It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  absurdities  in  this  docu- 
ment are  many  and  obvious.  The  impression  is  desired 
to  be  conveyed  that  the  letter  was  written  by  one  whose 
acquaintance  with  the  English  language  was  of  a  slight 
description.  But  no  foreigner  either  spelled  or  com- 
posed after  this  fashion,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  the  letter  is,  not  merely  a  forgery,  but  an  extremely 
clumsy  one.  On  the  only  evidence  that  has  been 
produced  in  this"  matter  it  is  impossible  to  dissent  from 
the  opinion  expressed  by  the  writer  of  the  note  in 
Byrom's  "Remains"  ^  that  the  charge  against  the  clergy 
of  Manchester  was  of  a  ''trumpery"  description. 

This  writer,  by  the  way,  falls  into  a  curious  mistake 
concerning  a  pamphlet  (6d.),  published  about  this  time 
by  Thomas  Deacon,  and  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  also  seems 
to  share  in  the  same  misapprehension.  It  is  assumed 
that  the  pamphlet  related  to  the  controversy  aroused  in 
these  charges  of  Josiah  Owen,  and  that  it  was  a  reply  on 
Deacon's  own  behalf  against  the  charge  of  Popery.  I 
believe  that  the  pamphlet  had  no  reference  to  this  par- 
ticular point.  It  was  Deacon's  "Apologetical  Epistle," 
published  in  reference  to  Dr.  Conyers  Middleton's 
*' Remarks  on  Two  Pamphlets,"  etc.  A  copy  of  this 
pamphlet  is  preserved  in  the  Chetham  Library,  and  I 
have  briefly  alluded  to  it  in  my  review  of  Deacon's 
* 'Comprehensive  View"  in  Appendix  A. 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  439.     Note. 


132 


THOMAS   DEACON 


The  remaining  stages  of  this  controversy  may  now  be 
briefly  noted.  There  appeared  in  reply  to  Owen's 
'•Letter  to  the  Master  Tool"  a  ballad  entitled  "Sir  L — 
bred  Owen,  the  Hottentot  knight";  the  reference  of 
course  being  to  Owen's  remarks  about  a  custom  of  the 
Hottentots  as  reported  on  page  127.  It  is  uncertain 
whether  this  ballad  is  to  be  attributed  to  Byrom.  Some 
writers  consider  that  it  is  in  too  coarse  a  strain,  but  there 
is  much  in  it  which  reminds  one  of  Byrom's  manner. 

The  ballad  was  said  to  be  set  to  the  tune  of  the  "Abbot 
of  Canterbury,"  and  is  in  effect  a  versification  of  Owen's 
book.     One  verse  may  suffice  :  — 

**  And  now  I  have  told  you.  Sir,  what  I  dare  do 
I'll  attack  your  friend  D-c-n  by  writing  to  you  : 
So  then,  if  you  please,  you  may  stand  by  and  look 
And  mark  how  I  empty  my  Commonplace  Book. 
Derry  down  down,  hey  derry  down." 

On  this  there  followed  Deacon's  second  vindication, 
published  under  his  own  name  in  the  Chester  Courant 
of  26th  April,  1748,  from  which  I  have  quoted  freely  in 
Appendix  B.  This  led  to  Owen's  last  entry  into  the 
arena  with  his  '*  Dr.  Deacon  Try'd  by  his  own 
Tribunal."  This  pamphlet  is  written  with  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  dialectical  skill,  but  is  marred  by 
Owen's  usual  faults  of  furious  invective  and  reckless 
accusation.  Mention  is  made  in  the  preface  of  Deacon's 
double  capacity  as  "practitioner  of  physic  and  caster 
out  of  devils  at  Manchester."  He  is  "a  saint  of  pure 
Jesuitical  complexion"  :  the  Chester  Courant  is  a  "sink 
of  corruption,"  etc.  Owen  endeavours  to  show  from  the 
principles  which  Deacon  himself  lays  down  in  his 
Catechism  that  the  vindication  of  himself  is  essentially 
false,  and  that  all  the  charges  brought  against  him  are 
substantially  proved. 

Two  small  contributions  to  the  literature  of  this  period 
and  subject  remain  to  be  noted.  A  letter  addressed  to 
the  clergy  of  Manchester,  remonstrating  with  them  for 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


133 


their  friendship  with  Deacon,  appeared  in  1748,  and  is 
attributed  to  the  pen  of  Thomas  Perceval  of  Royton 
Hall,  who,  like  Owen,  was  a  strong  Whig,  but  writes 
with  much  more  restraint  and  persuasiveness.  He 
remonstrates  with  the  clergy  for  ''countenancing,  favour- 
ing, protecting  and  espousing  a  man  who  plainly  tells 
you  Salvation  is  not  to  be  expected  in  your  Church, 
who  charges  your  church  with  heresy,  who  has  inveagled 
numbers  of  your  parishioners,  so  many  that  (not  able  to 
do  the  business  himself)  he  has  ordained  a  queer  dog  of 
a  barber,  a  disbanded  soldier  of  the  pretender's  who 
enlisted  as  a  volunteer  under  him  in  the  late  rebellion, 
and  sent  for  some  young  fellow  from  London  to  help 
him  in  his  'pseudo-ministry.'  "  The  'queer  dog  of  a 
barber'  was  Tom  Podmore,  of  whom  a  brief  account  is 
given  in  a  later  chapter. 

Finally,  there  appeared  a  pamphlet  entitled  "Man- 
chester Politics,  a  dialogue  between  Mr.  Trew-Blue  and 
Mr.  Whig-Love";  the  writer  (probably  Mr.  Perceval) 
makes  some  fine  fun  of  Deacon's  Catechism  and  of  the 
conclusions  into  which  his  friends  of  the  Chapter  would 
be  forced,  if  they  continued  to  follow  Deacon's  lead. 
The  tone  of  the  pamphlet  is  unexceptionable  throughout, 
and,  although  written  from  a  strongly  Whig  point  of 
view,  is  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  diatribes  of  Josiah 
Owen.     The  introduction  is  very  amusing. 

Mr.  W.     "  Sir,  pray  where  do  you  come  from? 

Mr.  T.     Manchester. 

Mr.  W.     What  are  you  ? 

Mr.  T.     A  Tory. 

Mr.  W.     Pray  speak  out,  be  free. 

Mr.  T.  Sir  all  I  can  say  is  I  am  a  Tory  and  a 
Manchester  Tory,  and  if  that  won't  satisfy  you  I  don't 
know  what  to  say  to  you." 

The  whole  dialogue  is  well  worth  reading :  a  passage 
relative  to  the  size  of  Deacon's  congregation  has  already 
been  quoted  on  page  100. 


X34 


THOMAS  DEACON 


I  must  here  conclude  the  somewhat  long  drawn  out 
but,  I  hope,  coherent  account  of  what  has  been  sometimes 
styled  the  **Byrom-Owen"  Controversy.  It  was  in  a 
sense  summed  up  and  recorded  in  a  permanent  form  in  a 
small  volume  entitled  "Manchester  Vindicated:  being  a 
compleat  collection  of  the  papers  lately  published  in 
defence  of  that  town  in  the  Chester  Courant.  Together 
with  all  those  on  the  other  side  of  the  question  printed 
in  the  Manchester  Magazine  or  elsewhere,  which  are 
answered  in  the  said  Chester  Courant — Chester  :  printed 
by  and  for  Elizabeth  Adams,  1749." 

On  2ist  January,  17JJ,  Robert  Thyer,  the  Librarian 
at  Chetham  College,  writes  to  John  Byrom^ :  "The 
Chester  Papers  are  at  length  published  but  I  cannot 
direct  you  how  to  meet  with  the  book  in  London  as  I 
don*t  find  that  they  are  sold  by  any  bookseller  there. 
The  Appendix  talked  of  was  thought  better  to  be  omitted 
by  those  whose  concern  it  chiefly  was.  The  reasons 
assigned  were,  the  things  being  quite  dead,  the  ridicu- 
lousness of  the  story  in  itself  and  the  inconvenience  that 
might  attend  the  communicating  the  affair  to  a  gentle- 
man that  was  not  very  likely  to  make  a  secret  of  people's 
names." 

I  take  it  that  the  matter  referred  to  by  Thyer  was  the 
story  of  the  "negotiations"  with  the  Pope.  Thyer 
certainly  had  much  to  do  with  the  editing  of  these  papers 
and  the  preface  (the  language  of  which  is  frankly 
partisan)  was  probably  written  by  him.  "  It  was  first 
begun  to  defend  the  town  of  Manchester  against  the 
many  false  and  calumnious  representations  of  it  at  that 
time  and  to  correct  the  impertinency  of  a  petulant  news- 
writer  whose  weekly  fardel  of  politics  called  the  Man- 
chester Magazine  was  almost  constantly  interlarded  with 
some  saucy  reflection  or  other  upon  the  town  or  some  of 
its  inhabitants.*'  The  volume  contains  much  interesting 
matter,  especially  in  the  earlier  papers  :   many  of  the 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  482. 


MANCHESTER  AND  THE  '45 


135 


statements  and  counter  statements  which  are  printed  in 
Appendix  B  are  included  in  its  pages.  The  later  papers, 
however,  are  largely  concerned  with  abstract  questions 
such  as  the  contract  between  King  and  people,  etc.,  and 
as  a  whole  the  compilation  presents  the  appearance  of 
being  very  long  drawn  out.  It  has,  however,  a  certain 
value  as  containing  in  a  concise  and  intelligible  form  an 
account  of  the  controversy  in  which  so  many  of  the 
foremost  people  of  Manchester  were  interested  in  the 
years  1746-8. 

It  will  have  been  noted  that,  although  this  controversy 
largely  turned  upon  the  presence  in  Manchester  of 
Thomas  Deacon  as  a  non-juring  bishop,  yet  Deacon 
himself  took  a  very  secondary  part  in  the  debate.  With 
the  exception  of  the  two  Vindications  of  himself,  in 
which  he  may  be  said  to  have  borne  a  not  undignified 
part,  there  is  nothing  that  can  with  probability  be  attri- 
buted to  his  pen.  There  were  more  reasons  than  one 
for  this  comparative  silence.  It  was  not  that  Deacon's 
activity  of  life  and  work  had  largely  come  to  an  end,  for 
in  the  midst  of  this  hurricane  of  tracts  and  pamphlets 
he  produced  his  last  and  in  some  sense  his  most  impor- 
tant work,  the  * 'Comprehensive  View  of  Christianity.'* 
Nevertheless  no  man  could  lose  wife  and  three  sons 
within  a  twelvemonth  without  being  profoundly  affected 
both  in  body  and  mind,  and  Thomas  Deacon  although 
little  more  than  50  years  of  age  was  in  every  sense  of 
the  expression  a  broken  man.  What  now  remains  is 
to  tell  the  story  of  his  last  few  years  of  suffering  and 
decay. 


137 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Deacon's  Last  Days  and  Death :  an  Estimate  of 
His  Life  and  Character. 

John  Byrom,  writing  to  his  wife  from  London  on 
August  27th,  1748,  expresses  a  hope  that  ''Dr.  Deacon 
has  got  rid  of  his  gout  and  will  manage  not  to  have  it 
again,"  ^  and  on  the  21st  January  following,  Robert 
Thyer  in  a  letter  already  quoted  on  page  134  says  that 
'*Dr.  Deacon  is  very  well  and  desires  his  compliments 
to  you."  This  is  the  last  mention  of  Deacon  in  Byrom's 
Journal  with  the  exception  of  a  short  correspondence 
with  William  Law  concerning  the  payment  of  ten 
guineas  to  relieve  the  pressing  necessities  of  Deacon  and 
his  family. 

There  is  to  be  related  a  final  incident  in  Deacon's 
ecclesiastical  life  which  has  not  previously  been  pub- 
lished. The  information  is  contained  in  the  copy  of 
the  MSS.  from  Edinburgh  presented  by  the  Rev.  W. 
Bell  as  mentioned  on  page  loi.  The  original  MS.  is 
dated  December  22nd,  1750,  and  is  in  the  form  of  a  letter 
from  the  Rev.  Jas.  Linfield,  one  of  Dr.  Deacon's  Pres- 
byters in  London,  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  David  Lyon, ^  a  deacon 
of  St.  Andrew's,  informing  him  of  the  revolt  of  a  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pierce  from  Dr.  Deacon's  communion  to  Mr. 
Gordon's.     Mr.  Linfield  enclosed  in  his  account  of  this 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  459. 

2.  Interesting  reference  to  Mr.  Lyon  is  to  be  found  in  Bishop  Forbes' 
"Journal,"  p.  33,  October  7th,  1764  : — "This  day  we  dined  at  the  houso 
of  Mr.  Lyon,  Apothecary,  uncle  to  the  Reverend  Mr.  David  Lyon,  of 
Glasgow,  where  we  had  an  entertainment  of  about  ten  courses,  substantial 
and  good.  Mr.  Lyon  was  f'^rmerly  clergyiiian  at  St.  Andrews."  It  ia 
possible  that  Robert  Lyon,  il.A.,  Presbvter  of  Perth,  who  was  executed 
at  Penrith  on  October  28th,  1746  (see  "  Kenyon  MSS.,"  No.  1221,  p.  477) 
was  of  the  same  family.  His  dying  sneech,  every  word  of  which  he  is 
said  to  have  delivered,  is  included  in  the  collection  mentioned  on  p.  115. 


138 


THOMAS   DEACON 


matter  copies  of  three  letters,  (i)  From  Mr.  Pierce  to 
the  Doctor.  (2)  The  Doctor's  answer.  (3)  Letter  from 
Mr.  Clark  to  Mr.  Pierce.  Mr.  Linfield  states  that  Mr. 
Pierce  did  not  await  any  reply  from  Dr.  Deacon  but 
deserted  his  communion  at  once  although  the  Doctor's 
reply  was  dispatched  on  the  same  day  as  the  arrival  of 
Mr.  Pierce's  letter. 

(i)  Mr.  Pierce  to  Dr.  Deacon.  London,  May  ist, 
1750. 

"  I  have  been  considering  very  deliberately  and  with 
my  best  attention  whether  it  is  lawful  and  proper  to  join 
in  communion  with  our  old  friends  and  did  not  know 
till  lately  in  what  manner  or  with  what  solemnity  they 
administered  the  Eucharistic  Office,  and  though  I  never 
said  or  thought  them  guilty  of  schism,  yet  I  did  imagine 
they  had  not  everything  necessary  to  that  holy  office  : 
but  upon  the  examination  of  this  matter  and  considering 
the  authority  of  the  church  I  cannot  help  saying  that  I 
am  persuaded  it  is  lawful  to  join  with  them  in  all  their 
offices,  though  I  like  yours  far  beyond  it  .  .  And  as  they 
have  bishops  the  validity  of  whose  consecrations  is 
indisputable,  as  there  is  not  one  of  the  other  within  a 
hundred  miles  of  this  place,  and  as  I  have  always  had 
some  doubt  of  the  regularity  of  that  absent  one,  I  shall 
not  for  the  future  stick  to  call  our  old  friends  my 
brethren  or  to  communicate  with  them  ...  In  matters 
of  faith  and  practice  I  think  too  much  caution  cannot  be 
used  to  follow  the  scriptures  and  early  fathers  and 
councils,  but  as  to  forms  or  matters  of  discipline  I  think 
every  national  church  should  have  full  latitude  of  power. 
I  would  rather  stand  than  kneel  on  a  Sunday  :  I  would 
administer  the  sacrament  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  to 
infants :  I  would  have  some  collect  or  appropriated 
prayers  for  the  departed :  but  if  that  church  does  not 
practise  these  things  in  this  manner  and  at  the  same 
time  does  not  condemn  them  in  any  sort,  I  would  not 
break  communion  upon  those  occasions  nor  refuse  if  I 


DEACON'S  LAST  DAYS 


139 


was  in  another  place  where  they  were  thus  used  to  join 
with  them." 

(2)  From  Dr.  Deacon  to  Mr.  Pierce.  Manchester, 
May  4th,  1750.  '■  i--^^-- 

"...  I  would  have  you  consider  that  our  old  friends 
profess  to  be  the  Church  of  England  and  therefore  that 
moment  you  join  them  you  are  answerable  at  the  great 
day  for  all  the  errors,  corruptions  and  defects  which  are 
chargeable  on  the  Church  of  England's  constitution  as 
laid  down  in  her  liturgy,  articles,  canons,  and  homilies. 
It  is  a  most  surprising  thing  to  me,  to  see  persons  of 
sense  and  piety  so  particular  as  to  separate  from  the 
Church  of  Rome  because  she  has  departed  from  the 
Ancient  Catholic  Church  and  to  communicate  with  the 
Church  of  England  which  is  equally  guilty  of  the  same 
charge.  For  the  case  in  reality  stands  thus :  if  the 
former  has  her  Pope's  supremacy,  the  latter  has  her 
King's,  Qf  Rome  makes  the  Eucharistic  elements  the 
natural  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  England  will  not  allow 
them  to  be  the  body  and  blood  in  any  senseT)  If  the  first 
adds  articles  of  faith,  the  last  virtually  renounces  one. 
I  could  proceed  yet  further  but  you  may  possibly 
imagine  I  have  said  enough  .  .  .  But  I  have  done,  after 
I  have  desired  you  not  to  take  it  amiss  that  it  will  be 
impossible  for  you  to  communicate  with  our  old  friends 
and  me  too." 

(3)  The  letter  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark  to  Mr.  Pierce  is 
interesting  as  showing  how  one  of  Deacon's  orthodox 
and  faithful  presbyters  came  to  the  support  of  his  bishop. 
Mr.  Clark  refers  to  the  liturgy  used  in  their  communion 
as  the  "  Clementine  Liturgy,"  and  referring  to  Mr. 
Pierce's  remarks  in  connection  with  the  English  liturgy 
as  it  was  used  by  their  **old  friends,"  says: — **  You  do 
not  offer  one  single  proof  of  your  discovering  the  primi- 
tive and  Catholic  Usages  unless  you  conceive  them  to  be 
there  by  the  (long  exploded)  way  of  meaning  and  inten- 
tion.    How  meanings  and  intentions  and  even  declara- 


140 


THOMAS  DEACON 


tions  can  make  things  to  exist  when  they  have  no  being  I 
have  neither  logic  nor  metaphysics  to  understand."  Mr. 
Clark  deals  also  with  the  question  of  Deacon's  consecra- 
tion by  a  single  bishop.  He  declares  that  this  objection 
would  strike  against  the  validity  of  English  consecra- 
tions, "The  first  bishops  consecrated  here  were  by  one 
bishop.**  **  Did  not  Eusebius  of  Samosata  when  in 
exile  and  military  habit  consecrate  alone  and  had  he  not 
then  as  much  power  as  when  he  sat  in  the  chair  of 
Samosata?  "  ^ 

It  will  be  remembered  by  way  of  comment  on  this 
correspondence  that  there  were  in  London  from  the  year 
1733  two  communions  of  non-jurors,  the  one  presided 
over  by  Robert  Gordon,  the  last  of  the  regular  line,  who 
is  of  course  the  Mr.  Gordon  mentioned  by  Mr.  Linfield  : 
the  other  owning  allegiance  to  Archibald  Campbell  and 
after  his  death  to  Thomas  Deacon.  It  is  evident  that  all 
was  not  well  with  Deacon's  little  communion  in  London, 
and  it  is  probable  that  after  his  decease  the  few  members 
who  remained  either  joined  the  communion  of  Robert 
Gordon  or  dwindled  away  in  process  of  time.  Bishop 
Forbes,  who  records  his  visit  to  London  in  1764,  says 
nothing  of  any  communion  of  non-jurors  except  that  of 
Bishop  Gordon,  and  this  merely  prolonged  its  existence 
until  Gordon's  death  in  1779.  This  letter  of  Deacon  to 
his  recalcitrant  follower  is  the  last  of  his  recorded  writ- 
ings. It  is  worth  noting  that  it  is  in  essential  agreement 
with  his  first  declaration  in  the  speeches  of  Paul  and 
Hall  in  the  year  '16.  Deacon  never  was  a  "Church  of 
England  man."  His  ideal  was  always  the  creation  of 
an  Orthodox  Catholic  Church  separate  from  both  Eng- 
land and  Rome.  It  was  impossible  that  he  could  view 
the  English  Church  from  the  same  standpoint  as  Brett 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  communion  with  the 
English  Church  and  had  received  ordination  within  it, 
and  he  had  therefore  small  sympathy  with   his   "  old 

1.  For  Clark  and  Linfield,  see  p.  49. 


DEACON'S   LAST  DAYS  141 

friends''  who  claimed  to  be  ''the  Church  of  England  as 
it  stood  before  the  Revolution."  This  was  the  stand- 
point of  the  original  non-jurors,  but  it  was  anathema  to 
Thomas  Deacon,  and  in  this  short  statement  we  see  the 
whole  extent  of  the  development  of  the  non-juring 
movement. 

We  know  little  of  Deacon's  last  years,  but  they  were 
certainly  marked  by  financial  difficulty  and  bodily  and 
possibly  mental  incapacity.  On  the  8th  March,  ly^l^ 
Deacon  consecrated  as  bishop  Kenrick  Price,  of 
whom  I  have  given  a  short  account  in  the  next  chapter. 
Beyond  this  nothing  is  known  except  what  is  to  be 
inferred  from  the  following  letters. 

Wm.  Law  to  John  Byrom,  1752  :  no  date. 

"  I  have  ten  guineas  for  Dr.  Deacon  if  you  would 
give  them  him  and  draw  upon  me  for  the  same  by 
anyone  that  comes  this  way  from  your  town.  I  should 
be  glad  to  pay  you  in  that  way  or  any  other  manner  you 
shall  direct."  1 

John  Byrom  to  Wm.  Law.     Manchester,  1752. 

"  Rev.  Sir :  I  have  ordered  my  son  to  pay  ten  guineas 
to  Mr.  Clayton,  Chaplain  of  the  old  church  for  the  use 
of  Dr.  —  who  is  not  capable  of  managing  for  himself 
and  has  been  so  long  unable  to  follow  his  business  that 
a  numerous  family  of  children,  mostly  young  ones  make 
the  friendly  benefactions  of  this  nature  extremely 
seasonable.  He  has  continued  beyond  all  expectation, 
mine  at  least." 

Deacon  lingered  four  months  after  the  date  of  this 
letter.  He  died  on  i6th  February,  1753,  and  was  buried 
in  St.  Ann's  Churchyard  three  days  later.  The  entry  in 
the  register  simply  states  ''  Dr.  Thomas  Deacon,  buried 
19th  February,  1753." 

A  curious  theory  is  propounded  in  Bardsley's  ''Memo- 
rials of  St.  Ann's"  as  to  the  reasons  why  Deacon  should 

1.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  545. 


142 


THOMAS   DEACON 


have  been  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  that  church.^  It 
is  to  the  effect  that  the  clergy  of  the  Collegiate  Church 
were  so  conscious  of  the  false  position  in  which  they 
found  themselves  through  their  complicity  with  Deacon 
that  it  was  considered  undesirable  that  the  burial  should 
take  place  in  the  old  churchyard.  The  clergy  of  St. 
Ann's,  on  the  other  hand,  being  free  from  any  such 
complicity,  could  safely  allow  Deacon  to  be  buried  in 
their  churchyard.  Mr.  Bardsley  calls  this  explanation 
"simple."  I  should  say  on  the  other  hand  that  it  is 
very  far-fetched.  Political  feeling  had  largely  died 
away  :  there  was  no  ill-feeling  against  Deacon  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  and  (if  the  inscription  on  the  tomb- 
stone is  to  be  believed)  it  was  only  to  be  expected  that 
Thomas  Deacon  would  be  laid  to  rest  in  the  same  place 
as  his  wife,  who  had  passed  away  nearly  eight  years 
previously.  Bardsley's  statements  concerning  Deacon 
are  in  many  cases  very  wide  of  the  mark,  but  we  may 
agree  with  him  on  one  point.  "He  was  laid  to  rest  in 
an  alien  soil,  the  hop>eful  promise  of  his  resurrection 
being  uttered  by  alien  lips.  No  two  men  in  the  whole 
town  could  be  more  unlike  than  these,  Thomas  Deacon 
and  Abel  Ward,  Third  Rector  of  St.  Ann's." 

The  epitaph  on  Deacon's  tomb  is  well  known,  even  to 
many  whose  knowledge  on  this  subject  extends  no 
further.     It  was  probably  composed  by  Deacon  himself. 


-h 


ei  fxrj  €v  TIC  (rravpcp 

"Here  lie  the  remains  (which  through  mortality  are 
at  present  corrupt)  but  which  shall  one  day  most  surely 
be  raised  again  to  Immortality  and  put  on  Incorruption 
of  Thomas  Deacon,  the  greatest  of  sinners  and  most 
unworthy  of  Primitive  Bishops,  who  died  the  i6th 
February,  1753,  in  the  56th  year  of  his  age. 

2.  Bardsley's  "Memorials  of  St.  Ann's,"  p.  85. 


DEACON'S  LAST  DAYS  143 

And  of  Sarah  his  Wife,  who  died  July  4th,  1745,  in 
the  45th  year  of  her  age. 

The  Lord  grant  unto  the  Faithful  here  underlying 
that  they  may  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day. — 
2nd  Tim.  I,  18." 

€V  TOVTOD  VLKa 

Mr.  Tyerman  describes  this  epitaph  as  **stilted."  It 
may,  however,  be  contended  that  it  rings  quite  as  true  to 
Christian  sentiment  as  the  laudatory  inscriptions  which 
are  found  on  the  walls  of  so  many  of  our  churches. 

I  cannot  find  that  Deacon  left  any  will :  there  is 
certainly  no  entry  of  his  name  in  the  Chester  Registry. 
It  is  difficult  to  imagine  that  he  had  anything  to  leave 
except  his  books,  and  these,  according  to  Mr.  Axon,^ 
were  sold  by  auction  on  March  19th. 

It  is  not  a  simple  matter  to  submit  an  estimate  of 
Thomas  Deacon's  life  and  character  as  regarded  from 
the  historical  standpoint,  and  apart  from  any  prepos- 
sessions of  a  personal  nature.  Men  of  strong  character 
strongly  attract  or  repel,  and  it  would  doubtless  be 
possible  for  any  writer,  with  partisan  ends  to  serve,  to 
make  a  good  case  for  any  view  of  Deacon's  character 
which  would  confirm  the  convictions  which  originally 
moved  him  to  undertake  the  task.  It  is,  however,  both 
possible  and  desirable  to  consider  the  matter  from  what 
may  be  described  as  the  purely  critical  and  historical 
point  of  view,  and  such  an  estimate  is,  within  very 
narrow  limits,  here  attempted.  The  portrait  in  the 
Reading  Room  of  the  Chetham  Library,^  a  reproduction 

1.  "Annals  of  Manchester,"  p.  90. 

2.  The  inscription  on  the  portrait  states  that  it  was  presented  to  the 
Library  in  1860  by  Miss  Parkinson  who  was,  I  presume,  sister  of  Canon 
Parkinson,  the  editor  of  Byrom's  Journal.  It  is  almost  incredible  that 
no  record  exists  of  the  gift  of  the  portrait  and  that  no  information  as 
to  its  history  can  be  obtained  in  Manchester.  It  is  permissible  to 
conjecture  that  it  may  have  come  into  the  hands  of  Canon  Parkinson 
from  Miss  Atherton,  great-grand  daughter  of  John  Byrom. 


144 


THOMAS  DEACON 


of  which  forms  the  frontispiece  of  this  work,  represents 
Deacon  in  the  prime  of  life,  at  the  age  of  about  40  years, 
or  certainly  before  the  disastrous  events  of  1745-6  had 
left  their  marks  upon  him.  The  attire  is  that  of  a 
bishop,  with  pectoral  cross :  the  forehead  is  high  and 
well  developed,  the  face  narrow  but  well  filled,  the  eyes 
piercing,  the  nose  long,  the  mouth  short.  Determina- 
tion is  shown  in  the  tightly  closed  lips  and  the  chin, 
but  I  should  describe  the  characteristic  expression  of  the 
face  as  genial  and  benevolent.  I  suspect  that  this  may 
prove  to  be  the  key  to  the  popularity  which  Deacon 
personally  possessed.  He  was  a  man  who  made  hosts 
of  friends  and  few  enemies,  and  if  my  estimate  is  correct, 
he  would  probably  be  a  very  acceptable  member  of  any 
company. 

It  may  appear  paradoxical  to  attribute  tolerance  to 
Thomas  Deacon,  but  I  should  be  disposed  to  say  that 
no  really  intolerant  man  could  have  formed  the  friend- 
ships which  Deacon  shared  with  many  men  of  widely 
differing  view^.  His  early  association  with  Dr.  Mead, 
in  spite  of  a  complete  divergence  of  religious  and 
political  opinions,  may  be  regarded  as  a  prelude  to  the 
many  friendships  formed  in  later  life  in  Manchester 
with  clergy  and  laity  alike.  The  relations  existing 
between  Deacon  and  the  Manchester  Clergy  are  not  by 
any  means  easy  to  understand.  Josiah  Owen,  following 
the  line  of  all  violent  and  professional  controversialists, 
solved  the  difficulty  by  imputing  treason  and  treachery 
to  all  the  parties  concerned.  History  is  not,  however, 
written  in  this  way,  and  I  submit  that  a  truer  explana- 
tion is  to  be  found  in  the  supposition  that  beneath 
Thomas  Deacon's  unbending  'Orthodoxy'  (I  used  the 
word  in  the  technical  sense  in  which  it  was  employed 
by  the  party  of  Campbell  and  Deacon)  there  was  a 
practical  tolerance  and  a  kindly  forbearance  which  would 
go  far  to  actount  for  the  fact  that  ''  the  Doctor  was 


DEACON'S  LAST  DAYS  145 

respected  by  most  of  the  Clergy  and  by  most  of  the 
laity  also.*'  ^ 

It  may  further  be  said  with  confidence  that  Deacon's 
personal  character  was  of  a  high  order.  None  of  his 
critics  in  the  bitter  controversy  of  1746-8  made  the  least 
suggestion  of  personal  misconduct  or  failing.  Even  the 
charges  brought  against  Deacon  by  the  fiery  Owen  were 
largely  of  a  rhetorical  nature,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  as  the  father  of  a  large  family,  as  a  medical  man, 
and  as  a  Christian  pastor  Deacon's  character  was  beyond 
reproach. 

It  is  also  due  to  his  memory  to  say  that  Thomas 
Deacon  was  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  a  deeply 
religious  man.  The  popular  idea  (if  indeed  the  word 
"popular"  may  be  used  in  connection  with  one  who  is 
so  little  known)  of  Deacon  from  the  religious  standpoint 
is  that  he  was  completely  immersed  in  all  the  ancient 
practices  and  customs  of  the  early  Church  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  anything  of  the  nature  of  what  is  commonly 
styled  ''vital  religion."  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I 
shared  this  opinion,  which  was  confirmed  by  a  careful 
survey  of  the  part  played  by  Deacon  in  the  *  usages  ' 
controversy,  and  of  his  earliest  works.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  decidedly  more  spiritual  tone  to  be  perceived  in 
Deacon's  later  works,  and  it  is  impossible  to  describe 
Thomas  Deacon  as  a  mere  formalist  or  ceremonialist. 
His  reverence  for  primitive  tradition,  his  devotion  to  the 
so-called  Clementine  liturgy,  and  his  scheme  for  the 
re-union  of  Christendom  on  the  basis  of  the  restoration 
of  all  the  usages  of  the  primitive  church,  may  be 
regarded  by  many  as  exploded  superstitions  and  will  in 
some  measure  be  criticised  by  those  who  are  disposed 
to  regard  him  with  most  favour.  But  underneath  all 
these  eccentricities  and  perversities  Thomas  Deacon 
possessed  a  deep  sense  of  religion,  and  he  is  not 
unworthy  in  this  respect  to  be  reckoned  alongside  with 
his  friend  John  Byrom. 

1.  See  Appendix  B,  p.  190.    "  Chester  Conrant,"  11th  November,  1746. 


146  THOMAS   DEACON 

The  question  naturally  arises  as  to  the  relative  degree 
of  importance  to  be  attached  to  Deacon's  religious  and 
political  convictions.  It  is  evident  that  he  had  been 
educated  in  strongly  Jacobite  surroundings  :  it  is  certain 
also  that  his  devotion  to  the  Stuarts  was  preserved  to 
the  end  of  his  life.  The  opinion  commonly  held  by 
Deacon's  adversaries  as  to  the  relation  existing  between 
his  religious  and  political  convictions  is  succinctly  stated 
by  Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  as  follows^ : — 

"  Dr.  Deacon  in  seeking  to  revive  such  institutions  as 
were  referable  to  the  4th  Century  naturally  enough 
considered  that  his  Church  was  by  no  means  out  of  the 
communion  of  that  of  Rome,  and  of  this  circumstance 
he  made  a  political  boast,  as  he  supposed  that  if  he  could 
find  the  means  of  establishing  it  within  the  realm,  of 
which  he  had  fanaticism  enough  to  entertain  the  hope, 
it  would  immediately  remove  all  the  obstacles  which  had 
arisen  in  the  Kingdom  towards  re-instating  on  the 
British  Throne  a  legitimate  Popish  succession  of 
monarchs  in  the  person  of  the  representative  of  the 
House  of  Stuart.'* 

Dr.  Hibbert-Ware  advances  this  not  as  his  own 
opinion  but  as  a  summary  of  the  charges  brought 
against  Deacon  and  the  Manchester  Clergy,  but  it  is 
evident  that  he  is  himself  disposed  to  adopt  it  as  a  fair 
statement  of  Deacon's  religious  and  political  standpoint. 
In  a  word  it  comes  to  this  :  Deacon's  first  object  was  to 
secure  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts ;  one  great  objection 
to  the  succession  of  that  line  was  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  religion  which  they  professed  was  Popish  :  and 
therefore  if  a  church  could  be  set  up  which  could  claim 
communion  with  Rome  on  equal  terms  the  greatest 
difficulty  would  be  removed.  In  other  words  politics 
was  the  first  thing  with  Deacon  and  religion  merely  took 
the  second  place. 

I  believe  that  exactly  the  reverse  is  true.     Deacon's 

1.  "Foundations  in  Manchester,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  91. 


DEACON'S  LAST  DAYS  147 

conception  of  a  pure  Primitive  Church  dominated  his 
whole  horizon  :  he  had  no  conception  of  the  Roman 
Church  as  the  centre  of  unity,  reconciliation  to  which 
was  the  first  necessary  step  to  the  reunion  of  Christen- 
dom, and  as  to  his  belief  in  the  validity  of  the  claim  of 
the  Stuarts  to  the  throne  of  England,  careful  examina- 
tion of  his  ''Compleat  Devotions"  and  ''Comprehensive 
View"  will  not  discover  the  least  trace  of  any  political 
bias. 

I  submit  then  that  Deacon's  main  aim  throughout  life 
was  the  establishment  of  a  True  Catholic  Church,  and 
that  the  restoration  of  James  III.  was  a  secondary  matter. 

The  question  will  then  naturally  occur  as  to  how  far 
Deacon's  life  is  to  be  considered  a  failure  in  respect  to 
these  primary  and  secondary  aspirations.  It  is  difficult 
indeed  to  avoid  the  conclusion  that  the  failure  was  well 
nigh  complete.  I  suppose  it  is  true  to  say  that  no 
human  being  ever  becomes  all  that  he  might  have  been, 
but  the  contrast  between  the  attainable  and  what  is 
actually  attained  has  seldom  been  more  strongly  marked 
than  in  the  case  of  Thomas  Deacon.  He  might  have 
been,  had  not  conscience  compelled  him  to  pass  his  time 
in  a  little  backwater  of  the  stream  of  life,  a  famous 
theologian,  a  distinguished  physician,  or  a  great  bishop, 
but,  when  his  life  drew  near  to  a  close  in  poverty  and 
helplessness,  the  consciousness  of  failure  must  have  been 
almost  overwhelming.  The  *'  True  British  Catholic 
Church"  was  reduced  to  a  handful  of  people  in  London 
and  Manchester,  and  the  final  collapse  of  the  Stuart 
pretensions  had  involved  the  loss  of  his  three  eldest  sons. 

There  are  recurring  crises  in  the  history  of  nations 
and  movements  in  which  men  of  high  character  and 
commanding  ability  feel  themselves  compelled  to 
separate  from  the  main  body  of  their  fellows  and  to 
betake  themselves  to  the  * 'lonely  furrow."  It  is  a 
truism  to  say  that  this  separation  is  seldom  accomplished 
without  serious  loss  to  the  body  politic  or  spiritual  which 


148  THOMAS   DEACON 

is  abandoned,  and  no  less  serious  detriment  to  the  section 
which  marks  out  its  own  little  path.  It  is  evident  that 
so  much  may  be  said  of  the  non-jurors  in  general  and 
of  Thomas  Deacon  in  particular.  And  yet  there  is  one 
point  of  view  from  which  the  movement  of  the  non- 
jurors, and  the  life  of  Deacon  and  other  leaders  of  the 
movement,  may  be  regarded  as  having  achieved  a  certain 
amount  (limited  and  qualified  it  is  true)  of  success.  The 
policy  of  Sir  Robert  Walpole  of  "packing"  the  Church 
with  prelates  and  dignitaries  of  Whig  and  Erastian 
convictions  was  probably  of  some  service  to  the  State, 
and  possibly  of  some  indirect  benefit  to  the  Church. 
The  type  of  religion  which  was  thus  created  could  not, 
however,  be  of  much  value,  and  a  corrective  influence 
was  certainly  needed.  This  correcting  force  was  in  the 
first  half  of  the  i8th  century  supplied  from  without  in 
the  influence  of  the  non-jurors,  and  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  century  in  the  preaching  of  the  Wesleys  and  the 
establishment  of  Methodism,  but  in  the  succeeding  age 
the  revival  of  religious  life  within  the  borders  of  the 
English  Church  was  one  of  the  most  striking  features 
of  the  time.  Canon  Overton  has  warned  us  of  the 
danger  of  painting  in  too  sombre  colours  the  picture  of 
the  decadence  of  the  i8th  century,  but,  without  falling 
into  errors  of  this  kind,  it  is  impossible  to  deny  that  the 
English  Church  in  the  19th  century  awoke  from  the 
sleep  into  which  she  had  been  carefully  lulled  in  the 
preceding  age.  Speaking  from  a  strictly  historical 
point  of  view,  it  is  a  simple  matter  of  fact  that  the  revival 
of  Church  life  has  been  on  the  lines  of  the  teaching  and 
practice  of  the  non-jurors  rather  than  in  accordance  with 
the  ideals  of,  let  us  say.  Bishop  Peploe  or  Dr.  Conyers 
Middleton.  If  we  contrast  the  ideals  of  Peploe  and 
Deacon  and  enquire  as  to  the  relative  influence  upon 
the  present  age  of  these  two  men,  so  widely  separated  in 
religious  thought,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  while 
churchmanship  of  the  type  of  Bishop  Peploe  is  now 


DEACON'S  LAST  DAYS  149 

quite  impossible,  much  for  which  Deacon  contended  is 
now  accepted  and  practised  in  the  Church  in  which 
Deacon  always  felt  a  warm  interest,  although  he 
resolutely  refused  to  join  in  her  communion. 

Leaving,  however,  ecclesiastical  matters  on  one  side 
let  it  be  said  that  Thomas  Deacon  was  a  worthy  citizen 
of  no  mean  city.  It  is  perhaps  fitting  that  what  is 
probably  his  first  biography  (and  will  almost  certainly 
be  the  last)  should  be  written  by  a  Manchester  man. 
None  can  now  be  found  who  will  defend  Deacon's 
theories  in  their  entirety;  many  will  consider  that  they 
rest  upon  a  fundamentally  false  basis ;  some  will  be  able 
to  discover  underneath  the  extravagances  of  his  devotion 
to  primitive;  custom  a  substanital  basis  of  truth.  But 
none  will  grudge  the  statement  that  Deacon  possessed 
qualities  which  were  sufficient  '*to  raise  the  man  above 
the  multitude." 

I  may  close  this  estimate  of  his  life  and  character  by 
quoting  from  the  De  Providentia  of  Seneca  a  passage 
which  may  be  considered  not  wholly  inapplicable  to  the 
life  of  Thomas  Deacon,  the  Manchester  Non-juror. 

**  Ecce  spectaculum  dignum  ad  quod  respiciat  intentus 
operi  suo  Deus,  ecce  par  Deo  dignum,  vir  fortis  cum 
fortuna  m,ala  compositus,  utique  si  et  provocavit/* 


151 


CHAPTER  X. 

Postscript. 
Deacon's  Successors,  Natural  and  Spiritual. 

Thomas  Deacon  and  Sarah  his  wife  appear  to  have  had 
no  fewer  than  thirteen  children.  We  have  already 
quoted  the  passage  of  Miss  Byrom's  journal  (page  114), 
in  which  she  states  that  four  of  Deacon's  children  were 
taken  to  Mrs.  Coats'  and  four  to  Lady  Lever's.  There 
are  also  to  be  reckoned  the  three  lads  who  joined  the 
Manchester  Regiment,  and  the  deaths  of  two  children 
in  infancy  are  recorded  on  the  tombstone  in  St.  Ann's 
Churchyard.  Thomas  Deacon  had  a  curious  custom 
of  giving  each  child  two  names  with  the  same  initial 
letter,  and  the  latter  name  was  always  of  theological  or 
patristic  significance.  It  is  possible  to  trace  the  names 
of  ten  of  the  children ;  the  names  of  the  first  three  are  of 
course  familiar  to  readers  of  this  memoir,  Thomas 
Theodorus,  Robert  Renatus,  Charles  Clement.  Then 
follows  Sarah  Sophia,  born  in  1731,  and  afterwards  the 
wife  of  William  Cartwright,  of  whom  some  notice  is 
given  below.  She  died  on  6th  October,  1801,  and  rests 
with  her  husband  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Giles', 
Shrewsbury.  Richard  Redemptus  and  James  Justus 
died  in  infancy  :  Elizabeth  Eusebia  died  in  1750  at  the 
age  of  ten  :  Humphrey  Hierophilus  Deacon  of  Milk 
Street,  London,  left  a  will  which  was  proved  on  March 
loth,  1789.^  No  one  but  Thomas  Deacon  would  have 
given  a  child  such  a  combination  of  names,  and  it  is 
obvious  at  least  to  a  Manchester  man  from  what  source 
the  suggestion  of  the  name  of  Humphrey  was  received. 
Humphrey^  mentions  his  brothers  Henry  and  Edward. 

1.  "  Notes  and  Queries,"  Series  VI,  Vol.  iii,  p.  38. 

2.  Humphrey  is  also  mentioned  in  the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  for 
1821,  p.  131. 


152 


THOMAS   DEACON 


Of  Henry  we  know  nothing,  but  Edward  Erastus 
Deacon  carried  his  father's  name  and  profession  into  the 
19th  century.  UnHke  his  father,  he  had  the  title  of 
M.D.,  and  is  described  in  EHzabeth  Raffald's  Man- 
chester directory  of  1772  as  "Surgeon  and  Man-Midwife 
of  St.  Mary's  Gate,"  and  in  later  years  appears  to  have 
removed  to  Cannon  Street.  Some  information  on  this 
subject  is  to  be  found  in  a  series  of  notes  in  "Notes  and 
Queries,"  Series  4,  vol.  11,  page  194,  under  the  date  of 
8th  March,  1873.  They  are  described  as  "Leaves  in  a 
Note  Book,"  made  in  1842  by  G.  P.  Kerr,  who  appears 
to  have  received  much  information  from  Mr.  W.  Sudlow 
of  the  firm  of  Sudlow  and  Wainwright,  Music  dealers. 
Cannon  Street.  "  January  29th,  1842,  Mr.  Sudlow 
informed  me  that  a  Mr.  Walton  married  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  E.  E.  Deacon,  who  had  been  educated  in  a  convent 
on  the  Continent :  he  remembered  that  she  had  long 
yellow  hair :  Mr.  Walton  possessed  the  property  now 
called  Walton's  Buildings  in  Cannon  Street,  adjoining 
which  was  an  entry  called  'Deacon's  entry.'  "  In  the 
directory  of  1850  Walton's  Buildings  is  certainly  the 
name  given  to  No.  50  Cannon  Street,^  but  I  have  not 
been  able  to  find  any  trace  of  'Deacon's  entry.'  Mr. 
Sudlow  also  informed  Mr.  Kerr  that  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Deacon  used  to  reside  in  Eccles.  There  is  a  probability 
that  descendants  of  Thomas  Deacon  may  still  remain  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Manchester  and  just  a  possibility 
that  some  family  records  may  be  preserved.  The  dis- 
covery of  such  records  would  be  extremely  interesting 
from  many  points  of  view. 

There  is  not  very  much  that  can  be  said  about 
Deacon's  successors  in  the  spiritual  sphere,  but  the 
subject  is  not  without  interest.  Deacon's  little  "Ortho- 
dox British  Church"  continued  its  existence  for  a  longer 


1.  On  further  enquiry  I  find  that  this  name  is  still  preserved  on 
No.  50,  Cannon  Street,  and  a  small  adjoining  entry  still  exists,  without 
name. 


DEACON'S  SUCCESSORS  153 

time  than  is  generally  supposed,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  quotation  from  Aston's  "  Manchester 
Guide"  of  1804,  page  136.  In  describing  the  religious 
bodies  of  the  town,  a  special  heading  is  given  to  the 
''Non-jurors,  as  they  are  generally  termed,  but  as  they 
denominate  themselves.  The  True  British  Catholic 
Church,  which  once  made  a  considerable  noise  in  the 
world  but  is  now  nearly  extinct.  At  that  time  they  had 
a  place  of  worship  under  the  celebrated  Dr.  Deacon  who 
was  succeeded  by  a  Mr.  Kenrick  Price,  a  grocer,  and 
the  late  P.  J.  Brown,  M.D.,  who,  as  well  as  Dr.  Deacon, 
had  the  nominal  title  of  Bishops.  In  their  time  the 
Chapel  was  situated  in  a  yard  near  St.  Mary's  Gate, 
and  they  were  assisted  in  their  ministerial  labours  by  a 
Mr.  Cartwright.  The  present  bishop  is  a  Mr.  Thomas 
Garnett,  who,  it  seems,  does  not  exercise  the  episcopal 
office,  and  the  congregation,  now  reduced  to  about  30, 
is  under  the  care  of  Mr.  C.  Booth  in  Long  Millgate, 
who  in  his  own  house  performs  the  functions  of  a 
priest."  This  statement  is  a  perfectly  correct  account 
of  the  later  history  of  Deacon's  Church,  but  I  may  be 
permitted  to  give  some  fuller  account  of  the  men  whose 
names  have  been  briefly  mentioned.  Mr.  Kenrick 
Price's  consecration  has  already  been  noted  on  page  141. 
He  was  a  grocer  in  St.  Mary's  Gate  :  his  name  appears 
in  the  directory  down  to  the  year  1788.  According  to 
the  writer  in  * 'Notes  and  Queries,"  Series  4,  vol.  11, 
page  194,  Mr.  Price  resided  near  to  Coup's  Spirit 
Vaults,  and  in  that  neighbourhood  the  last  non-jurors 
met  for  worship.  It  is  certain  that,  in  Deacon's  time, 
his  house  in  Fennel  Street  was  the  non-juring  place  of 
worship.  Owen,  in  "Dr.  Deacon  Try'd,"  refers  in  his 
polished  style  to  "Thomas  Deacon,  priest,  alias  Dr. 
Deacon,  has  a  schism  shop  in  Fennel  Street  in  Man- 
chester where  he  vends  his  spiritual  packets  and  prac- 
tises his  spiritual  quackery  on  Sundays."  It  appears 
that  when  Kenrick  Price  succeeded  to  the  charge,  the 


154 


THOMAS   DEACON 


little  Church  met  in  St.  Mary's  Gate,  either  at  Mr. 
Price's  house  or  in  some  building  used  by  him  in  his 
business. 

Dr.  P.  J.  Brown  was  a  physician  in  the  town.  His 
name  appears  in  Raffald's  directory  for  1773,  at  which 
time  he  lived  in  Marsden  Square.  It  app>ears  probable 
that  he  was  consecrated  by  Kenrick  Price,  but  so  far 
from  succeeding  him  (as  stated  in  a  note  in  Byrom's 
** Remains,"  vol.  2,  page  623)  it  is  certain  that  he  pre- 
deceased Price  by  many  years.  It  has  been  stated  that 
Dr.  Brown's  real  name  was  John  Johnstone,  and  that 
he  was  the  younger  son  of  the  Marquis  of  Annandale, 
but  there  is  no  proof  to  be  discovered  in  support  of  this 
theory.  A  letter  from  Dr.  Brown  to  John  Byrom  is 
preserved  in  the  journal  on  page  617,  vol.  2. 

Returning  now  to  Mr.  Price,  it  is  known  that  he 
travelled  to  Shrewsbury  in  1780  to  consecrate  William 
Cartwright  (q.v.),  and  that  he  died  in  Liverpool  on  the 
15th  September,  1790.  A  writer  in  the  Gentleman's 
Magazine  for  September,  1792,  page  808,  states  that  he 
copied  the  following  epitaph  but,  aggravatingly  enough, 
neglects  to  give  the  name  of  the  Church.  "On  the  north 
side  of  this  churchyard  rests  the  body  of  Kenrick  Price 
who  for  more  than  37  years  without  the  least  worldly 
profit  presided  over  the  orthodox  remnant  of  the  Ancient 
British  Church  in  Manchester  with  truly  primitive 
Catholic  piety,  fervent  devotion,  integrity  and  simplicity 
of  manners,  and  every  trait  of  character  which  could 
adorn  the  life  of  an  unbeneficed  primitive  bishop.  He 
died  September  15th,  1790,  in  the  69th  year  of  his  age 
and  the  39th  of  his  episcopate.  May  he  find  mercy  of 
the  Lord  in  that  Day  !     He  was  consecrated  March  8th, 

Mr.  Kerr,  in  the  volume  of  **  Notes  and  Queries  " 

1.  I  have  made  a  careful  search  of  the  Churches  of  S.  Mary,  Walton, 
S.S.  Peter  and  Nicholas,  Liverpool,  and  of  the  registers  belonging  to 
them;  also  of  the  registers  of  the  demolished  Churches  of  S.S.  Paul  and 
George;  but  no  trace  is  discoverable  of  Bishop  Price. 


DEACON'S  SUCCESSORS  155 

previously  referred  to,  states  that  on  January  25th,  1842, 
the  Rev.  Joshua  Lingard  of  St.  George's,  Hulme,  told 
him  that  ''Bishop  Price's  pastoral  staff  was  preserved 
and  on  January  15th  1844,  he  visited  Scaitcliffe,  near 
Todmorden,  the  residence  of  John  Crossley,  Esq.,  and 
there  saw  the  head  of  the  staff  of  the  last  non-juring 
bishop.  It  was  made  of  wood  and  gilt  but  the  staff 
itself  was  lost." 

William  Cartwright^  (b.  1730)  was  a  native  of  New- 
castle. He  married  Sarah  Sophia  Deacon,  and  is 
described  as  one  of  Dr.  Deacon's  presbyters  in  London 
where  he  lived  until  1769.  He  probably  received 
ordination  from  his  father-in-law  but  no  record  exists. 
Thomas  Lathbury  writes  to  **  Notes  and  Queries  " 
(Series  i,  volume  2,  page  175,  ist  March,  1856)  that  he 
has  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  Deacon's  "Compleat 
Devotions"  on  which  is  this  inscription — *'  To  his 
worthy  and  much  esteemed  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pry- 
therick  from  Wm.  Cartwright.  E.O.B.P."  The 
initials  of  course  stand  for  Eccles.  Orthod.  Brit.  Presby- 
ter. Mr.  Cartwright  had  further  written  on  the  frontis- 
piece, "After  Mr.  Prytherick's  death  this  book  was 
given  back  to  me  at  my  request.  W.C."  This  book 
had  the  additional  title  alluded  to  on  page  loi  as  being 
authorised  by  the  bishops  of  the  Orthodox  British 
Church.  In  1769  Cartwright  removed  to  Shrewsbury 
where  he  practised  as  an  apothecary.  In  1780  he  was 
consecrated  by  Bishop  Price  who  came  over  from 
Manchester  for  that  purpose,  and  after  the  death  of  the 
latter  in  1790  he  apparently  assumed  episcopal  control 
over  the   remnant  in   Manchester.     Bishop   Cartwright 

1.  See  Bishop  Forbes'  "  Journal,"  p.  35,  October  14th,  1764  :— 
"This  evening  drank  tea  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cartwright  at  his  own 
house — one  of  Dr.  Deacon's  clergy  who  had  visited  me  several  times  at 
our  lodgings  where  free  and  open  conversations  passed  between  us 
without  any  manner  of  reserve.  He  is  married  upon  one  of  Dr.  Deacon's 
daughters,  and  appears  to  be  a  person  who  has  it  at  heart  to  promote 
the  interest  of  religion  upon  true,  genuine,  Catholic  principles,  and  as 
one  that  asketh  for  the  Old  Paths." 


iS6 


THOMAS  DEACON 


died  in  comriiunion  with  the  English  Church  and 
received  Holy  Communion  in  his  last  illness  at  the  hands 
of  the  Rev.  W.  G.  Rowland,  to  whom  we  are  indebted 
for  the  statement  that  Cartwright  was  accustomed  to 
dress  in  purple  cloth,  and  that  the  late  Bishop  Horsley 
very  much  surprised  a  party  of  Shrewsbury  people  by 
maintaining  that  William  Cartwright  was  as  much  a 
bishop  as  he  himself.  Mr.  J.  Allen  writes  in  "Notes 
and  Queries,"  Series  2,  volume  11,  page  208:  "In  the 
graveyard  attached  to  St.  Giles',  Shrewsbury,  lie  the 
remains  of  the  last  (sic)  Non-juring  Bishop  of  England 
under  a  gravestone  bearing  the  following  inscription. 
Underneath  lie  the  remains  of  William  Cartwright 
who  died  14th  October,  1799,  age  69.  Also  the  Remains 
of  Sarah  Sophia  Cartwright  Wife  of  the  above  who 
died  6th  October,  1801,  age  70."  Cartwright  and  his 
wife  had  one  son  to  whom  was  given  the  name  of  his 
ill-fated  uncle,  Thomas  Theodorus.  He  appears  to  have 
predeceased  his  parents. 

Mention  must  be  made  in  this  connection  of  Thomas 
Podmore  "the  learned  barber."  Thomas  Perceval  in 
his  letter  to  the  clergy  of  the  Collegiate  Church  says, 
"If  you  are  unable  to  cope  with  the  Doctor  you  certainly 
are  able  to  deal  with  Podmore,  the  barber,  or  what  is 
your  learning  worth."  It  is  certain  that  Podmore  was 
an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  Thomas  Deacon,  and  was  the 
author  of  a  pamphlet  entitled  "The  layman's  apology 
for  returning  to  Primitive  Christianity,  showing  from 
the  testimonies  of  ancient  and  the  concessions  of  modern 
writers  that  the  Greek,  Roman  and  English  Churches, 
as  well  as  the  pretended  churches  of  the  anti-episcopal 
reformation,  have  each  in  some  degree  departed  from  the 
doctrine  and  practice  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  point- 
ing out  A  pure  episcopal  church  in  England  which 
teaches  all  the  ordinances  of  Christ  and  His  Church  in 
their  Evangelical  Perfection.  Written  in  the  year  1745 
by  Thomas  Podmore  at  that  time  Barber  and  Peruke 


DEACON'S  SUCCESSORS  157 

maker  in  Manchester."  The  work  was  published  at 
Leeds  in  1747  at  the  Price  of  2/6  "stitched."  Podmore 
strongly  recommends  Deacon's  * 'Devotions"  and  "Com- 
prehensive View,"  and  as  to  the  pure  episcopal  church, 
"If  anyone  would  know  where  such  a  pure,  perfect 
church  as  I  am  recommending  is  to  be  found  I  will  tell 
him  in  one  word  at  Manchester."  Podmore  was 
ordained  to  the  diaconate  on  December  11,  1748,  but 
never  advanced  beyond  that  degree.  The  official  record 
of  this  ordination,  in  Thomas  Deacon's  own  handwrit- 
ing, has  recently  come  into  the  possession  of  the 
Manchester  Free  Reference  Library,  and  as  stated  in  the 
Preface,  I  am  under  deep  obligation  to  Mr.  C.  W. 
Sutton,  the  chief  librarian,  for  his  kindness  in  making  it 
possible  to  insert  a  reproduction  of  the  document  in  this 
work.  It  will  probably  be  considered  as  of  more  than 
ordinary  interest,  as  being  the  only  existing  record  of 
Thomas  Deacon's  episcopal  acts.  The  impression  of 
the  seal  is  not  perfectly  preserved  but  it  is  possible  to  trace 
(but  not,  unfortunately  in  the  reproduction)  the  outline 
of  the  pastoral  staff,  and  the  inscription,  "  Feed  my 
lambs."  It  may  be  noted  that  the  date  given,  "in  the 
i6th  year  of  our  Consecration"  confirms  the  generally 
accepted  belief  that  Deacon  was  Consecrated  in  the  year 
1733.  The  names  of  the  witnesses  to  Thomas  Podmore's 
ordination  are  inscribed  on  the  back  of  the  document  and 
are  as  follows  : 

Kenrick  Price. 

George  Newton. 
James  Chadwick. 

Geo  :  Langton. 

Richd  :  Owen. 
W.  Pashley. 

With  the  exception  of  Kenrick  Price  (q.  v.),  nothing  is 
known  of  these  followers  of  Thomas  Deacon.  In  later 
years  Podmore  assisted  Bishop  Cartwright  at  Shrews- 
bury,  who  wrote  the  following  brief  notice  on  his  decease. 


158  THOMAS   DEACON 

**  On  Sunday  last  died  in  his  8ist  year  the  Rev. 
T.  Podmore,  for  some  years  Master  of  Millington*s 
hospital  in  this  town  and  many  years  a  deacon  of  the 
"Orthodox  British  Church"  of  whom  in  a  few  words  it 
may  be  gently  said  *he  was  pious  and  faithful  and  a 
peacable  honest  man,  an  Israelite  indeed.*  '*  The 
following  memorial  exists  in  the  hospital : — 

M.  S. 

Rev.  Thomas  Podmore 

Ecc.  Orth.  Brit.  Diac. 

Ob:   loth  April,  1785.     Age  81. 

May  he  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  Day. 

In  1842  Mr.  Moore,  Bookseller  of  Back  King  Street, 
had  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  Podmore's  * 'Apology** 
which  contained  a  pedigree  of  the  Podmore  family. 
Copies  of  the  work  are  still  occasionally  offered  for  sale 
in  Manchester. 

Four  years  before  his  death  Cartwright  consecrated 
Thomas  Garnett,  and  Garnett  consecrated  Charles 
Booth,  who  was  the  last  of  the  irregular  bishops  referred 
to  by  Macaulay  in  the  14th  chapter  of  his  "History  of 
England.'*  "Another  left  what  he  had  called  his  see 
and  settled  in  Ireland  and  at  last  in  1805  the  last  bishop 
of  that  Society,  which  had  proudly  claimed  to  be  the 
only  true  Church  of  England,  dropp>ed  unnoticed  into 
the  grave.** 


159 


APPENDIX    A. 
A  Review  of  Deacon's  Published  Works. 

It  is  intended  to  give  in  this  Appendix  a  fuller  account 
of  Deacon's  works  than  was  found  convenient  in  the 
text.  Some  appreciation  may  be  given  here  of  Deacon's 
literary  style.  I  have  referred  in  an  earlier  portion  of 
this  work  to  the  facility  of  writing  his  mother  tongue 
which  Deacon  undoubtedly  possessed.  Deacon's  lan- 
guage is  remarkably  pure ;  his  style  is  both  vigorous  and 
elegant,  and  altogether  it  is  a  very  pleasant  task  to  read 
one  or  two  consecutive  chapters  of  any  of  his  works. 
The  reader  may  perhaps  have  noted  that  Deacon  was  an 
excellent  letter  writer.  A  brief  synopsis  of  his  letters 
has  been  prepared  as  a  third  Appendix  to  this  work,  but 
we  may  now  proceed  to  consider  his  larger  works  in 
some  detail.  I  have  numbered  them  in  the  order  of 
publication. 

I.  **  The  Doctrine  of  the  Church  of  Rome  concerning 
Purgatory  proved  to  be  contrary  to  Catholic  tradition 
and  inconsistent  with  the  necessary  duty  of  praying  for 
the  dead,  as  practised  in  the  Ancient  Church."  'By 
Thomas  Deacon,  Priest.'  'Prove  all  things  hold  fast 
to  that  which  is  good,'  printed  for  R.  King  at  the 
Queen's  Head  in  Paternoster  Row,  1718. 

The  copy  in  the  possession  of  the  Reference  Library, 
Manchester,  bears  upon  its  title  page  the  name  written 
in  bold  hand  of  'William  Murray,'  but  lower  down  on 
the  same  page  is  written  in  a  different  hand,  and 
probably  of  much  earlier  date,  "  Purchased  in  Edin- 
burgh in  the  year  1745,"  which  may  be  taken  as 
evidence  of  the  fact  that  the  work  had  some  circulation 
when  a  quarter  of  a  century  had  elapsed  from  its  publica- 


i6o 


THOMAS  DEACON 


tion.  The  most  interesting  portion  of  the  book  is  the 
short  dedication  to  Dr.  Brett.  It  is  written  in  excellent 
English,  as  is  the  case  with  all  Deacon's  writings,  and 
speaks  "of  our  known  zeal  for  Primitive  Christianity 
in  opposition  both  to  Popery  and  Calvinism,'*  and 
declares  Deacon's  purpose  "to  strip  the  Papal  Sect  of 
the  glorious  title  of  Catholic,  which  without  any  right 
she  assumes  to  herself."  It  may  be  noted  that  both  this 
work  and  Campbell's  "Middle  State"  seem  to  have 
had  in  view  not  so  much  propagation  of  doctrine  con- 
cerning an  intermediate  state  as  a  defence  of  the 
non-jurors  against  the  charge  of  Popery.  They  are 
both  largely  filled  with  arguments  intended  to  prove 
that  the  Roman  Church  has  departed  from  the  ancient 
tradition.  Deacon's  preface,  which  is  long  in  propor- 
tion to  the  work,  may  be  quoted  as  exemplifying  his 
standpoint  as  to  tradition.  "  Protestants  have  argued 
against  tradition  although  at  the  same  time  they  argued 
against  their  Bible  which  does  itself  receive  tradition. 
A  tradition  which  is  general  and  uninterrupted,  delivered 
or  practised  by  all  Christians,  and  contradicted  by  none, 
must  be  followed.  By  such  tradition  we  prove  the 
lawfulness  of  Infant  baptism,  the  observance  of  the 
Lord's  Day,  and  the  Divine  right  of  episcopacy — the 
Divine  authority  of  the  Scriptures  cannot  be  proved 
otherwise  than  by  tradition."  At  the  end  of  the  preface 
Deacon  states  very  clearly  what  he  conceived  to  be  the 
peculiar  characteristics  of  the  Church  of  Rome  which 
made  communion  with  that  Church  unlawful.  "  The 
Pope's  universal  supremacy;  transubstantiation,  and 
the  adoration  of  the  Host;  Communion  in  one  kind; 
taking  the  Apocrypha  into  the  canon  of  scripture;  the 
invocation  of  saints  and  angels ;  purgatory  fire  between 
death  and  resurrection ;  the  worship  of  images  and  the 
material  cross."  Finally  Deacon  takes  the  very  extra- 
ordinary standpoint  that  communion  with  the  Roman 
Church  is  impossible  because  she  does  not  regard  the 


APPENDIX  A  i6i 

mixture  in  the  chalice  as  essential,  but  merely  enjoins 
it  and  practises  it  as  a  primitive  custom.  Deacon's 
statement  of  his  own  ecclesiastical  position  may  well  be 
quoted.  "A  particular  Catholic  Church  is  a  rightful 
bishop  with  his  clergy  and  the  laity  united  to  them, 
professing  the  true  Christian  faith  without  the  addition 
of  false  doctrine,  and  practising  the  necessary  Christian 
worship  without  corruption." 

As  to  the  subject  matter  of  the  book  it  is  thought 
hardly  necessary  to  give  space  for  quotations,  but  it 
may  be  pointed  out  that  it  follows  on  very  similar  lines 
to  Archibald  Campbell's  "Doctrine  of  the  Middle  or 
Intermediate  State  of  Departed  Souls,"  published  first 
in  1 7 13  and  again  in  1721.  This  work  contains  on  the 
title  page  the  so-called  Vincentian  Canon  **  Quod 
ubique,  quod  semper,  quod  ah  omnibus.^*  The  preface 
deals  largely  with  charges  of  Popery  and  the  work  is  on 
a  much  larger  scale  than  Deacon's  '*  Purgatory." 
Quotations  are  given  from  Scripture  and  the  Fathers  on 
a  scale  which  is  almost  fearful  to  contemplate.  I  refer 
principally  to  the  work  that  I  may  quote  (and  with  this 
I  conclude  this  notice)  a  declaration  from  the  preface, 
which  will  serve  to  show  exactly  what  Campbell  and 
Deacon  held  as  to  the  condition  of  the  departed. 

**That  there  is  an  intermediate  or  middle  state  for 
departed  souls  to  abide  in  between  death  and  the 
resurrection,  far  different  from  what  they  are  after- 
wards to  be  in  when  Our  Blessed  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
shall  appear  at  His  Second  Coming. 

That  there  is  no  immediate  judgment  after  death. 
That  to  pray  and  offer  for  and  to  commemorate  our 
deceased  brethren  is  not  only  lawful  and  useful  but 
also  our  bounden  duty. 

That  the  intermediate  state  between  death  and  the 
resurrection  is  a  state  of  purification  in  its  lower  as 
well   as   of   fixed   joy   and   enjoyment   in   its   higher 
mansions. 
M 


X62 


THOMAS   DEACON 


And  that  the  full  perfection  of  purity  and  holiness 
is  not  to  be  attained  in  any  mansion  of  Hades, 
higher  or  lower,  as  that  any  soul  of  mere  man  can  be 
admitted  to  enter  into  the  Beatific  Vision  in  the 
Highest  Heavens,  before  the  Resurrection,  the  Trial 
by  fire  which  it  must  then  go  through.'* 

H.  The  New  Communion  Office  of  1718.  This  has 
been  so  fully  described  in  the  text  that  little  more  need 
be  added  here.  The  Rev.  P.  Hall  in  his  "  Fragmenta 
Liturgica"  states  that  two  editions  were  published,  both 
in  London,  one  120  and  the  other  80.  The  smaller 
edition  appears  to  have  been  specially  printed  for  the 
bishops  of  the  Scottish  Church. 

HI.  "  Private  Devotions  before,  at,  and  after  the 
Christian  Sacrifice,"  published  by  J.  Smith,  Cornhill, 
in  1720,  and  intended  as  a  companion  to  the  Communion 
Office.  This  little  manual  is  commonly  attributed  to 
Deacon  and  presents  an  aspect  of  his  character  which 
is  not  too  prominently  brought  before  us  in  his  writings. 
Deacon  was  a  great  controversialist  and  a  hard  fighter, 
but  he  surely  must  have  had  what  may  be  described  as 
a  pastoral  side  to  his  character,  and  we  obtain  a  glimpse 
of  this  in  his  little  manual  of  devotions.  It  is  "recom- 
mended to  the  orthodox  laity"  and  is  divided  into  two 
parts,  one  containing  devotions  to  be  used  privately  at 
home,  the  other  being  concerned  with  prayers  at  the 
public  service.  In  both  of  them  copious  adaptations 
are  made  of  Scriptures  and  the  Eastern  Liturgies,  but 
it  may  be  noted  by  the  curious  in  these  matters  that 
Deacon  borrows  one  prayer,  and  one  only,  from  the 
Latin  rite,  the  well  known  prayer  said  at  the  mixture  of 
the  chalice.  "Deus  qui  humanae  substantiae  dignitatem 
mirabiliter,  etc.**  ^ 

1.  "  0  God,  Who  didst  wonderfully  create  and  yet  more  wonderfully 
renew  the  dignity  of  man's  nature,  grant  that  by  the  mystery  of  this 
water  and  wine  we  may  become  partakers  of  His  Divine  Nature,  Who 
vouchsafed  to  become  partaker  of  our  manhood.  Jesus  Christ  Thy  son, 
Our  Lord." 


APPENDIX  A  163 

IV.  **  History  of  the  Arians  and  the  Council  of 
Nice,  etc.,  written  in  French  by  Mr.  Sebastian  Le  Nain 
de  Tillemont,"  and  translated  into  English  by  Thomas 
Deacon.     London,    1721. 

Deacon  had  a  special  reverence  for  Tillemont,  who 
was  a  scholar  and  theologian  after  his  own  heart. 
Tillemont  was  one  of  the  Port  Royal  Jansenists  and 
studied  under  Nicole,  who  is  usually  reckoned  as  second 
to  Pascal  himself  in  point  of  eminence.  There  was 
indeed  much  similarity  between  the  Jansenist  and  the 
Non-juring  movements,  for  although  the  Doctrine  of 
Grace  was  originally  the  distinguishing  mark  of  the 
Jansenists,  it  may  be  contended  that  the  real  aim  of  the 
movement  was  reform  of  the  Catholic  Church  by  means 
of  a  return  to  primitive  tradition  and  practice.  A 
parallel  to  some  of  the  restorations  of  ancient  usages  by 
the  English  Non-jurors  is  to  be  found  in  the  revival  of 
public  penance  by  the  Jansenists.  No  better  summary 
can  be  found  of  Tillemont's  historical  methods  than  the 
description  given  by  Du  Pin  in  his  "  Nouvelle 
Bibliotheque  des  Auteurs  Ecclesiastiques,"  quoted  by 
Deacon  in  his  preface,  of  which  I  append  a  few 
passages. 

*'  Sebastian  Le  Nain  de  Tillemont  was  born  at 
Paris  30th  November,  1637.  ^^  received  virtue, 
religion,  and  piety  with  his  milk  :  he  was  ordained 
priest  in  1676 — he  began  when  he  was  but  twenty 
years  old  to  read  Ecclesiastical  History  and  continued 
to  the  time  of  his  death  (1697)  to  study  that  part  of 
learning  with  incredible  diligence  and  without  any 
interruption  :  in  order  to  execute  this  design  he 
applied  himself  closely  to  the  reading  both  of 
ecclesiastical  and  prophane  authors  as  well  ancient  as 
modern,  and  from  their  works  he  collected  everything 
that  concerned  those  persons  or  facts  which  could 
come  into  ecclesiastical  history  or  have  any  relation 


X64  THOMAS  DEACON 

thereto.  There  is  nothing  of  his  own  in  the  body  of 
the  work  except  some  short  observations  which  are 
put  between  two  crotchets.  These  works  of  M. 
Tillemont  are  the  product  of  a  prodigious  labour  and 
almost  infinite  industry  and  are  compiled  with  all 
possible  exactness.'* 

It  would  be  wholly  unsuitable  to  attempt  any  account 
of  Tillemont's  history  in  the  present  work.  It  may  be 
said  that  it  is  perhaps  the  most  perfect  example  of 
thorough-going  historical  research,  which  was  such  a 
signal  characteristic  of  all  those  who,  on  either  side  of 
the  Channel,  were  bringing  forth  to  light  the  doctrines 
and  practices  of  the  early  Christian  Ages. 

The  preface  which  Deacon  writes  to  his  translation 
may  perhaps  be  considered  worthy  of  a  brief  quotation. 
*'  When  I  reflect  upon  the  open  and  daring  attacks 
which  have  of  late  years  been  made  upon  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  and  consider  at  the  same  time  how  much 
the  number  of  the  enemies  to  Our  Lord's  Con-substan- 
tiality and  Co-eternity  is  increased  and  how  nearly  all 
Christians  are  concerned  to  maintain  the  Catholic  Faith, 
I  cannot  but  think  it  a  proper  time  to  give  an  account 
in  English  of  the  old  opposers  of  Our  Blessed  Saviour's 
Divinity,  the  several  methods  they  took  to  promote  their 
heresy,  and  how  the  primitive  Church  and  the  Arian 
party  managed  in  this  dispute.  Mr.  Tillemont  has 
exhausted  the  historical  part  of  this  matter  and  by  read- 
ing his  history  of  Arianism  we  shall  find  that  modern 
hereticks  tread  exactly  in  the  steps  of  their  predecessors 
and  translate  both  their  arguments  and  their  practice. 
Mr.  Tillemont,  the  author,  has  a  particular  manner  of 
writing  history,  for  he  does  not  give  us  an  history  of 
his  own,  extracted  from  other  authors,  but  he  collects 
together  all  that  has  been  said  upon  the  subject,  both 
from  ancient  authors  and  the  best  modern  ones,  ranges 
the  passages  in  a  proper  order  and  if  he  adds  anything 


- 


APPENDIX  A  165 

of  his  own,  he  puts  it  between  hooks,  so  that  while  we 
are  reading  him,  we  are  really  reading  the  several 
authors  cited  in  the  margin.'* 

A  few  of  the  names  of  subscribers  to  Deacon's 
translation  are  given  below.  The  whole  list  is  most 
interesting  :  it  contains  the  names  of  many  clergy  in 
various  parts  of  the  country  including  the  Dean  and 
several  Prebendaries  of  York,  and  many  of  Deacon's 
friends  and  colleagues  among  the  non-jurors. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  John  Blackburn,  M.A.;  Thomas 
Bowdler,  Esq.;  Rev.  Thomas  Brett,  LL.D.  (7  copies); 
Hon.  Archibald  Campbell,  Esq. ;  The  Rev  Jer.  Collier, 
M.A.  (6  copies);  Rev.  Mr.  J.  Griffin;  Rev.  Mr.  S. 
Jebb;  Mr.  Roger  Laurence,  M.A.;  Richard  Rawlinson, 
LL.D.,  F.R.S.;    George  Smith,  Esq. 

It  may  be  noted  that  the  non-jurors  did  not  publicly 
use  the  title  of  "Rev."  except  and  unless  the  title  was 
generally  recognised.  This  meant  in  practice  that  only 
those  who  had  received  ordination  while  in  communion 
with  the  English  Church  were  so  styled.  Thus,  Collier 
and  Brett,  although  Bishops,  are  merely  styled  Rev.; 
Campbell,  as  receiving  his  orders  from  the  Scottish 
Episcopal  Church,  which  at  this  time  was  proscribed  by 
the  State,  and  Laurence,  although  a  non-juring  priest, 
received  no  clerical  title  whatever. 

It  will  be  noted  that  at  this  early  period  there  are  to 
be  found  none  of  the  names  of  Deacon's  Manchester 
friends  who  supported  him  so  warmly  on  later  occasions. 
We  do,  however,  notice  the  name  of  the  Rev.  John 
Copley,  M.A.,  at  that  time  Rector  of  Thornhill,  York- 
shire, and  Fellow  of  the  Collegiate  Church,  Manchester. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  the  book  had  much  success,  at 
least  from  a  financial  standpoint.  In  a  letter  written  to 
Byrom,  ten  years  later,  when  the  translation  of  Tille- 
mont's  *' History  of  the  first  Six  Centuries"  (see  page 
169)  was  being  prepared,  Deacon  says:^  *'The  reason 

1.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  ii,  pp.  96  and  99. 


1(56  THOMAS  DEACON 

he  did  not  set  his  name  was  because  he  had  found  by 
former  experience  that  it  did  him  a  mischief,  some 
people  being  too  cowardly  and  mean  to  encourage  a 
thing  with  his  name  to  it.** 

V.  *'  Remarks  on  the  Rev.  S.  Downe's  Historical 
Account  of  the  Several  Reviews  of  the  Liturgy  of  the 
Church  of  England."  This  was  published  in  1722  as 
an  Appendix  to  Griffin's  **  Common  Christian  In- 
structed.** It  is  largely  occupied  with  answers  to 
criticisms  of  the  new  office,  and  has  been  briefly  referred 
to  in  the  text.     Two  additional  points  may  be  noticed. 

(a)  Dealing  with  the  statement  that  the  Usagers  in 
reality  objected  to  the  first  Prayer  Book  of  Edward  VI., 
as  much  as  to  the  established  liturgy.  Deacon  remarks 
that,  "  they  certainly  would  have  been  content  with 
Edward  VI. *s  liturgy,  but  after  the  schism  had  been 
made  they  felt  at  liberty  to  make  further  alterations." 

(6)  Deacon  concludes  with  some  strongly  hostile 
remarks  concerning  the  influence  of  Calvin,  Bucer,  and 
Peter  Martyr  on  the  subsequent  revisions  of  the  Prayer 
Book. 

VI.  Translation  of  a  portion  of  Tillemont*s  "Eccles- 
iastical Memoirs  of  the  first  Six  Centuries,"  published 
ii^  i733>  and  a  second  volume  two  years  later. 

No  small  portion  of  the  interest  which  is  attached  to 
this  work  is  to  be  found  in  the  correspondence  which 
took  place  between  Deacon  and  Byrom  prior  to  its 
publication.  Deacon  is  seen  at  his  very  best  in  this 
connection,  and  I  append  copies  of  a  few  of  the  letters 
which  passed  between  the  two  friends. 

Dr.  Deacon  to  John  Byrom,  February  21st,  173^. 

**  Dear  Grand  Master :  You  have  been  too  busy  to 
read  a  letter  and  I  to  write  one;   you  are  employed 


APPENDIX  A  167 

among  the  great  folks  of  whom  you  will  have  your 
bellyful  before  you  have  done;  however  you  are 
doing  a  great  deal  of  good  in  your  generation,  by 
which  you  are  become  the  darling  of  Manchester; 
and  you  must  expect  upon  your  return  to  meet  with 
nothing  but  crowns  and  laurels,  ovations  and 
triumphs.  While  you  have  been  thus  employed  for 
the  public  I  have  been  narrowly  confined  in  thinking 
of  my  own  private  gain ;  and  at  last  my  orthodox 
brain  has  hammered  out  the  project  which  our  brother 
Clayton  will  lay  before  you,  concerning  which  I  have 
two  things  to  beg  of  you,  first,  that  you  would  correct 
and  then  that  you  would  promote  it,  might  and  main, 
whenever  you  have  an  opportunity.  The  success  of 
it  will  be  of  mighty  consequence  to  me,  and  that 
makes  me  so  earnest  in  desiring  you  will  not  omit 
asking  one  single  soul  that  you  have  the  least  prospect 
of.  I  know  your  sincerity  and  you  have  lately  given 
sufficient  proof  of  your  diligence,  and  therefore  I  shall 
not  use  many  words;  but  only  that  I  have  Tillemont 
as  much  at  heart  as  the  Presbyterians  have  the  work- 
house.^ May  you  defeat  the  one  and  advance  the 
other.  If  you  know  Dr.  Hooper's  address,  send  it 
me  and  I  will  write  to  him  :  and  do  you  send  him 
some  propMDsals.  I  have  no  Cambridge  friend  but 
yourself,  so  that  all  the  assistance  which  that  Univer- 
sity will  afford  me  must  be  by  you.  Your  family  is 
well.  Our  women  desire  to  be  remembered  to  you. 
My  head  and  hands  are  full  as  well  as  yours. 
Adieu."  2 

Byrom  took  the  matter  up  with  his  accustomed  energy 
and  on  the  13th  April  writes  in  his  Journal :  '*At  five 
o'clock   went   to   Mr.    Rivington's  and   he   ordered   50 

1.  The  dispute  about  this  building  is  the  matter  which  Deacon  refers 
to  at  the  commencement  of  the  letter.  The  erection  of  a  new  workhouse 
was  the  subject  of  a  violent  controversy  between  the  High  Church  party 
and  the  Presbyterians. 

2.  Byrom's  "Remains,"  Vol.   i,  p.   471. 


z68 


THOMAS  DEACON 


proposals  of  Dr.  Deacon's  to  be  sent  to  Abingdon's.**^ 
Eight  days  later  Deacon  writes  again  of  the  progress 
of  his  work. 

"Dear  Grand  Master: 

I  wish  you  joy  of  your  victory .^  I  told  you  you 
must  think  of  nothing  but  ovations  and  triumphs. 
I  wish  my  Tillemont  had  conquered  as  bravely.  I 
hope  you  have  got  proposals  enow  by  this  time. 
I  beg  you  will  send  a  parcel  to  our  brethren  Lloyd 
and  Houghton  at  Cambridge,  for  I  have  no  acquaint- 
ance there  but  a  slender  one  with  Mr.  Wrigley  to 
whom  I  have  written.  If  you  should  go  thither 
before  you  see  this  country  I  doubt  not  but  you  will 
work  for  me.  I  wrote  to  Dr.  Hooper  in  London.  I 
am  glad  I  got  a  specimen  to  please  you  at  last,  but 
it  was  a  difficult  matter,  for  I  am  afraid  Tillemont  is 
too  pious  and  too  much  a  Christian  for  your  acquaint- 
ance. I  find  you  are  become  a  master  of  Dukes  and 
I  know  not  who  :  go  on  and  prosp>er.  I  am  too  busy 
to  write  a  regular  letter  or  a  long  one.  Clayton  does 
bravely  for  me  at  Oxford,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be 
enabled  to  usher  Tillemont  into  the  world  which,  I 
declare  it,  I  would  do  for  the  sake  of  the  public, 
without  any  view  to  myself,  if  my  situation  was  above 
all  views.  But  I  must  endeavour  to  serve  myself  as 
well  as  the  world,  and  I  wish  I  may  serve  both. 
Good-bye  to  you  and  remember  that  I  am  your 
dutiful  Warden,  etc.  Mrs.  Warden  desires  to  be 
remembered  to  you.*'^ 

On  April  26th  Byrom  records  that  **he  carried  18 
proposals  of  Dr.  Deacon's  to  Dr.  Williams  in  Bury 
Street,  who  promised  to  carry  them  to  Cambridge  the 
next  day,"  and  on  the  27th  we  have  a  further  letter  from 

1.  Byrom's  "  Eemains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  490. 

2.  See  p.   167.    Note. 

3.  Byrom's  "  Remains,"  Vol.  i,  p.  496. 


APPENDIX  A  169 

Deacon  which  I  cannot  refrain  from  inserting  here  on 
account  of  its  intrinsic  merits  and  interesting  references. 

Dr.  Deacon  to  John  Byrom,  April  27th,  1731. 

"Dear  Grand  Master:  I  received  yours  this  morn- 
ing and  write  again  so  soon  to  answer  all  your 
difficulties.  I  did  not  imagine  but  you  would  meet 
with  such  objections  from  your  people  and  therefore 
always  thought  the  chief  service  you  could  do  me 
would  be  at  Cambridge  and  in  this  country.  I  cannot 
tell  yet  what  success  I  shall  have  till  my  returns  come 
in  to  my  proposals,  which  are  but  just  dispensed. 
And  yet,  by  what  I  can  hitherto  guess,  I  am  in  hopes 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  publish,  for  I  am  resolved  to 
finish  the  first  volume  though  I  get  nothing  for  it, 
that  the  world  may  see  the  work.  But  as  to  such 
questions  as  are  asked  you,  you  may  when  you  do  not 
think  proper  to  say  more,  answer  that  the  translator 
is  your  friend  and  to  your  certain  knowledge  goes  on 
his  own  bottom,  without  having  anything  to  do  with 
booksellers  :  but,  when  and  where  you  think  proper, 
tell  them  the  translator  is  a  non-juring  parson  who 
mortifies  himself  with  the  practice  of  physic  (pour 
accomplir  sa  penance),  and  condescends  to  a  half- 
crown  subscription  rather  than  prostitute  his  consci- 
ence :  that  the  reason  why  he  did  not  set  his  name  was 
because  he  had  found  by  former  experience  that  it  did 
him  mischief,  some  people  being  too  cowardly  and 
mean  to  encourage  a  thing  with  his  name  to  it.  You 
were  certainly  right  to  speak  to  Whiston  and  every- 
body, let  them  do  what  they  will.  You  may  tell 
Whiston  it  is  done  by  one  who  has  the  restoration  of 
Primitive  Christianity  at  heart  as  much  as  himself, 
and  is  a  friend  to  the  Constitutions,  though  he  cannot 
go  all  his  lengths,  being  not  quite  so  hasty  in  his 
judgments,  but  agrees  with  him  in  his  wishes,  founda- 
tions, and  designs.      I  intend  to  go  to  the  press  as 


Z70 


THOMAS  DEACON 


soon  as  ever  I  am  assured  of  subscriptions  enow  to 
bear  me  harmless,  but  not  before.  I  am  glad  you  like 
the  work.  I  hope  other  people  will  do  the  same  when 
they  see  it.  Excuse  the  trouble  I  give  you  and  I 
thank  you  for  me.     Adieu." 


The  work  was  published  in  1733  in  London  "for  the 
benefit  of  the  translator  and  sold  by  J.  Wilford  at  the 
three  Flower-de-luces,  behind  St.  Paul's  Chapter  house, 
and  W.  Clayton,  Bookseller  in  Manchester."  It 
contains  a  literal  translation  of  Volume  I.  of  Tillemont's 
"Ecclesiastical  Memoirs,"  which  comprehends  the  time 
of  our  Lord  and  the  Apostles.  There  are  no  remarks 
of  Deacon's  except  those  contained  in  the  brief  preface, 
which,  with  the  list  of  subscribers  to  the  work,  may  be 
considered  of  importance  to  a  biographer  of  Deacon. 

Two  objections  are  briefly  answered  in  the  preface. 
First,  that  Tillemont  was  a  Roman  Catholic.  To  this 
Deacon  replies  that  Tillemont  is  simply  an  honest  and 
learned  collector  of  facts,  and  that  any  remarks  of  his 
own  are  put  between  crotchets.  "So  that  the  reader  is 
safer  with  Mr.  Tillemont  than  with  any  other  author 
of  any  communion,  for  it  is  his  own  fault  if  he  be 
deceived."  Secondly,  that  Tillemont's  works  are 
voluminous  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  To  this 
Deacon  answers  "Had  they  been  less  voluminous  they 
had  been  less  valuable."  I  must  not  close  this  short 
review  without  transcribing  a  passage  which  shows  what 
Deacon's  plans  were  as  to  the  completion  of  his  enter- 
prise. "I  had  never  set  about  so  laborious  an  under- 
taking if  persons  of  far  superior  judgment  to  my  own, 
had  not  concurred  with  me  in  opinion  that  it  would  be  of 
greatest  service  to  the  Church,  the  Clergy,  and  common 
Christianity.  And  as  it  is  now  a  considerable  number 
of  years  since  I  first  began  upon  it,  the  public  may  be 
assured  that  if  it  meets  with  encouragement  the  press 
shall  never  stop  till  the  whole  is  finished." 


APPENDIX  A  171 

There  is  reason  to  think  that  the  necessary  encour- 
agement was  not  forthcoming.  A  second  volume  was 
issued  in  1735,  but  no  further  progress  appears  to  have 
been  made.  Nevertheless  the  list  of  subscribers  con- 
tains a  large  number  of  names,  due  doubtless,  in  no 
small  measure,  to  the  energy  and  perseverance  of  John 
Byrom  in  collecting  proposals  for  his  friend.  One 
naturally  turns  in  the  first  place  to  names  of  prominent 
non-jurors,  who  may  be  represented  in  the  list,  and  it 
is  apparent  at  once  that  the  number  of  these  is  very 
small.  It  has  been  pointed  out  in  the  text  that  by  1733 
the  non-juring  body  was  rapidly  shrinking  in  point  of 
numbers,  and  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  Deacon  was 
now  almost  alone  in  his  ecclesiastical  position  and  pur- 
pose. I  can  find  only  the  following  names  of  those  who 
may  be  styled  non-jurors  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word. 
Thomas  Bowdler,  Esq.;  Hon.  Archibald  Campbell, 
Esq.;  Samuel  Jebb,  M.D.,  of  Stratford  in  Essex; 
Richard  Rawlinson,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.;  Roger  Laurence, 
M.A.;  George  Smith,  Esq.,  of  Burnhall,  in  the 
Bishopric  of  Durham;  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas 
Wagstaffe.  Deacon's  Manchester  friends  appear  in 
great  force.  Among  the  clergy  we  find  Revs.  Adam 
Bankes,  Henry  Brooke,  Robert  Assheton,  Fellows  of 
the  Collegiate  Church ;  Revs.  Richard  Assheton  and 
Thomas  Cattell,  Chaplains;  John  Clayton,  Curate 
of  Salford;    and  N.  Banne,  Rector  of  St.  Ann's. 

Among  the  laity  are  to  be  found  the  names  of  Sir 
Ralph  Assheton  of  Middleton  (last  of  that  line);  the 
Hon.  Lady  Bland  of  Hulme;  Robert  Booth  of  Salford, 
and  John  Byrom,  A.M.,  F.R.S.;  Mr.  John  Dickenson; 
John  Egerton,  Esq.,  of  Tatton  Park;  Philip  Egerton, 
Esq.,  of  Oulton ;  Darcy  Lever,  Esq.,  of  Alkrington ; 
and  many  others.  Other  interesting  entries  in  the  list 
are:  Brasenose  College  Library  in  Oxford;  the  Man- 
chester Library;  and  "Mrs.  Cecilia  Collier"  ;  this  last 
unusual  Christian  name  at  once  attracts  attention,  and 


172  THOMAS  DEACON 

points  to  the  fact  that  Deacon's  mother  had  married  a 
second  time.  I  have  briefly  alluded  to  this  in  the  text 
on  page  15. 

VII.  **  A  Compleat  Collection  of  Devotions  both 
public  and  private,  taken  from  the  Apostolic  Constitu- 
tions, the  ancient  liturgies,  and  the  Common  Prayer 
Book  of  the  Church  of  England.  In  two  parts 
I.:  Comprehending  the  Public  Offices  of  the  Church, 
humbly  offered  to  the  consideration  of  the  present 
Churches  of  Christendom,  Greek,  Roman,  English,  and 
all  others.  Part  II. :  Being  a  primitive  method  of  daily 
private  prayer,  containing  devotions  for  the  Morning 
and  Evening  and  for  the  antient  hours  of  prayer,  nine, 
twelve,  and  three :  together  with  hymns  and  thanks- 
givings for  the  Lord's  Day  and  Sabbath,  and  prayers 
for  Fasting  Days  :  as  also  devotions  for  the  Altar  and 
Graces  before  and  after  meat :  all  taken  from  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions  and  the  ancient  liturgies  and 
recommended  to  the  practice  of  all  private  Christians 
of  every  Communion  :  to  which  is  added  an  appendix 
in  justification  of  this  undertaking :  consisting  of 
extracts  and  observations  taken  from  the  writings  of 
very  eminent  and  learned  divines  of  different  com- 
munions. And  to  all  this  is  subjoined  in  a  Supplement 
*An  Essay  to  procure  Catholic  Communion  upon 
Catholic  principles,'  London,  printed  for  the  author  and 
sold  by  the  booksellers  of  London  and  Westminster, 
1734,  price  bound  in  calf  six  shillings."  The  mere 
reading  of  the  title  of  this  work  is  sufficient  to  show  the 
comprehensive  scale  on  which  it  was  conceived.  It  is 
obvious  that  to  attempt  a  review  of  the  work  would 
demand  much  more  space  than  can  be  given  here.  I 
shall  content  myself  by  pointing  out  one  or  two  notable 
features.  In  the  first  place  the  following  letter,  dated 
loth  September,  1733,  may  be  inserted. 


APPENDIX  A  173 

The  Rev.  John  Clayton  to  the  Rev.  John  Wesley. 

**  Dr.  Deacon  tells  me  that  he  had  no  view  in  fixing 
the  psalms  for  common  days :  but  after  reading  your 
letter  is  convinced  of  the  expediency  of  serving  any 
of  those  three  ends  you  mention.  The  feasts  and  the 
fasts  were  the  days  he  principally  regarded,  but  he 
would  take  it  as  a  favour  from  you  if  you  would  com- 
municate to  me  any  improvements  you  may  possibly 
make  in  it :  he  desires  in  the  meantime  that  you  would 
let  us  know  your  thoughts  upon  the  matter,  because 
his  order  for  reading  the  psalter  is  likely  soon  to  see 
the  light,  with  a  collection  of  primitive  devotions 
which  even  now  is  in  the  press."  ^ 

The  conception  of  John  Wesley  as  aiding  Thomas 
Deacon  by  suggestions  as  to  the  arrangement  of  the 
psalter  in  his  forthcoming  work  is  a  new  and  interesting 
one,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  little  is  known 
of  any  relations  which  may  have  existed  between  Deacon 
and  the  Wesleys. 

Deacon  lays  down  in  his  preface  two  principles  upon 
which  his  work  is  founded.  They  may  be  stated  briefly 
thus : — 

I.  The  best  method  for  all  Christians  to  follow  is  to 
lay  aside  all  modern  hypotheses,  customs,  and  private 
opinions,  and  submit  to  all  the  doctrines,  practices, 
worship,  and  discipline  not  of  any  particular  but  of  the 
ancient  and  universal  Church  of  Christ  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  fourth  century. 

II.  That  the  Clementine  liturgy  in  the  Apostolic 
Constitutions  is  the  most  ancient  and  pure  Christian 
liturgy  extant :  that  the  Constitutions  contain  the 
doctrines,  laws,  and  settlements  which  the  three  first 
and  purest  ages  of  the   Gospel   did  with   one  consent 

1.  Tyerman's  "  Oxford  Methodists,"  p.   35. 


174 


THOMAS  DEACON 


believe,  obey,  and  receive  :  and  that  therefore  the  said 
book  ought  to  be  received,  submitted  to,  and  allowed 
its  due  authority. 

All  the  devotions  contained  in  the  book  were  taken 
from  the  Constitutions  with  the  exception  of  such  parts 
of  the  Common  Prayer  Book  of  the  Church  of  England 
as  were  necessary  to  complete  the  design.  No  practice 
or  ceremony  was  omitted  that  appeared  to  be  supported 
by  antiquity,  universality,  and  consent.  On  these 
grounds  Deacon  recommends  his  "Devotions"  to  every 
pious  Christian  as  the  Oldest  and  therefore  the  Best 
Collection  of  Devotions  extant  in  the  whole  Christian 
world. 

The  public  offices  of  the  Church  which  are  provided 
in  the  Book  are  very  many  in  number.  In  addition  to 
the  Order  for  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer,  there  are 
Prayers  for  *'  Catechumens,  Energumens,  and  Peni- 
tents," with  special  forms  for  admitting  to  each  of  these 
conditions :  offices  for  Baptism,  Confirmation,  Matri- 
mony, Ordination,  etc.  The  attempt  at  a  revival  of 
primitive  discipline  in  the  case  of  "Energumens"  or 
persons  possessed  by  evil  spirits  will  certainly  provoke 
a  smile,  and  it  was  probably  this  portion  of  Deacon's 
public  offices  which  caused  Owen  to  describe  him  as 
"caster  out  of  devils  in  Manchester." 

Deacon  makes  very  considerable  use  of  the  English 
Prayer  Book  in  his  order  for  Morning  and  Evening 
Prayer,  and  in  the  occasional  offices,  but  the  Holy 
Liturgy  is  purely  and  simply  the  Clementine  Liturgy, 
shortened  in  some  places,  but  as  a  rule  literally  trans- 
lated, with  the  exception  of  the  insertion  of  the  Pater 
Noster,  which,  as  is  well  known,  does  not  appear  in  the 
Clementine  Liturgy.  Deacon  certainly  had  the  gift, 
which  is  not  by  any  means  common,  of  translating 
ancient  forms  of  prayer  into  devotional  and  melodious 
English. 

The  differences  between  the  two  liturgies  of  1734  and 


APPENDIX  A  175 

17 18,  although  considerable,  were  not  fundamental.  In 
the  older  form  after  the  Ter  Sanctus  there  followed  the 
short  recital  of  instances  of  Divine  Providence  taken 
from  the  liturgy  of  St.  James.  Following  this  again 
came  the  Words  of  Institution,  with  the  Oblation  and 
Invocation  from  the  Clementine  Liturgy,  and  the  Prayer 
for  the  Church  in  the  words  of  I.  Edward  VI.  It  was 
here  that  the  divergence  between  the  two  forms  was  most 
marked.  What  may  be  called  the  Consecration  Prayer 
in  the  later  form  is  taken  bodily  from  the  Clementine 
Liturgy.  It  includes  the  very  long  recital  of  Providen- 
tial Acts  in  the  midst  of  which  the  Ter  Sanctus  is  placed ; 
the  consecration  proper  with  the  oblation  and  invocation 
and  the  prayer  for  the  whole  Church  following, 
together  with  the  ancient  "  Holy  Things  For  Holy 
Persons." 

It  is  an  extraordinary  incident  in  religious  history  that 
this  liturgy,  which  was  probably  never  used  in  any 
Church  and  which  certainly  contains  some  unscriptural 
allusions,^  should  have  been  brought  to  life  and  made 
the  expression  of  the  devotion  of  a  handful  of  people  in 
London  and  Manchester.  Campbell  used  it  in  London, 
and  the  use  was  certainly  continued  for  some  years  after 
his  death.  In  Manchester  the  liturgy  continued  for  a 
considerable  number  of  years  as  I  have  related  in 
Chapter  X. 

The  late  Bishop  Dowden  of  Edinburgh  in  his 
*  .'Annotated  Scottish  Communion  Office"  refers  to  one 
small  phrase  contained  in  that  office  which  is  directly 
taken  from  the  Clementine  Liturgy. 

The  rubric  at  the  Offertory  reads  ''Then  the  Presbyter, 
or  Deacon  says  'Let  us  present  our  offerings  to  the  Lord 

1.  e.g.,  In  the  preface  to  the  Recital  of  the  life  of  Our  Lord,  "The 
high  priest  (was  pleased)  to  be  himself  a  sacrifice,  the  Shepherd  a 
sheep,  to  appease  thee  his  God  and  Father  and  to  reconcile  thee  to  the 
world."  And  at  the  close  of  the  Invocation,  "Thou  being  reconciled 
unto  them  0  Lord  Almighty."  It  is  only  necessary  to  contrast  this 
language  with  that  of  St.  Paul,  "  to  reconcile  all  things  to  himself." 


176 


THOMAS  DEACON 


with  reverence  and  Godly  fear.'  "  This  is  a  literal 
translation,  and  according  to  Bishop  Dowden  was  taken 
directly  from  Deacon's  Liturgy  of  1734.  The  option 
given  to  the  deacon  to  say  the  sentence  is  also  an 
instance  of  Oriental  practice.  The  point  is  perhaps  not 
without  interest  as  showing  the  sole  remains,  so  far  as 
public  use  goes,  of  the  attempt  of  Deacon  to  revive  the 
so-called  liturgy  of  St.  Clement. 

The  second  part  containing  Private  Devotions  has  a 
separate  preface  in  which  Deacon  advises  his  readers 
"to  follow  the  excellent  counsel  of  Mr.  Law,  in  his 
'Serious  Call  to  a  Devout  and  Holy  Lite,  p.  244.'  The 
passage  contains  a  suggestion  that  each  Christian  should 
reserve  for  himself  a  particular  place  for  his  private 
devotions.  *  Your  own  apartment  would  raise  in  your 
mind  such  sentiments  as  you  have  when  you  stand  near 
an  altar,  and  you  would  be  afraid  of  thinking  or  doing 
anything  that  was  foolish  near  that  place  which  is  a 
place  of  prayer,  and  holy  intercourse  with  God.'  This 
reference  to  Law  deserves  notice  in  view  of  the  assist- 
ance freely  rendered  by  Law  to  Deacon  in  his  last  days, 
see  page  141. 

No  one  can  read  the  Private  Devotions  without  being 
profoundly  impressed  with  the  depth  and  reality  of 
Deacon's  religion.  He  comes  largely  before  us  in  these 
pages  as  a  controversialist  who  knew  how  to  lay  about 
him,  but  there  was  another  and  a  more  worthy  side  to 
his  character  which  is  clearly  and  unmistakably  found 
in  his  Private  Devotions. 

There  is  an  appendix  in  justification  of  the  under- 
taking, consisting  of  writings  of  various  divines.  I 
must  find  space  for  a  brief  notice  of  one  of  these.  It  is 
the  Rev.  John  Wesley's  ''Essay  upon  the  Stationary 
Fasts,"  from  which  Deacon  quotes  freely.  Mr.  Wesley 
assigns  to  the  Primitive  Church  a  plenitude  of  authority 
in  quite  as  clear  and  unconditional  language  as  Deacon 
himself  was  accustomed  to  use.     "The  celebrated  rule 


APPENDIX  A  177 

of  St.  Austin  has  never  yet  been  controverted.  *That 
which  is  held  by  the  universal  Church  and  was  not 
instituted  by  councils  but  always  was,  is  delivered  down 
from  the  Apostles.*  " 

Deacon  also  inserts  some  observations  of  his  own 
concerning  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  in  which  he 
endeavours  to  defend  them  against  the  charge  of 
Arianism.  Finally  he  prints  an  essay,  which  he  says 
he  discovered  accidentally  among  his  papers,  entitled, 
**  An  Essay  to  procure  Catholic  Communion  upon 
Catholic  Principles."  This  essay  has  been  attributed  to 
Dr.  Brett ;  the  style  certainly  bears  a  strong  resemblance 
to  that  of  Brett's  "Collection  of  Liturgies." 

It  may  be  interesting  to  record  the  inscription  written 
by  Deacon  on  the  first  page  of  the  copy  of  this  work, 
which  is  preserved  at  Chetham  College. 

Liber 

Bibliothecae  Pub.  Mancuniensis 

Ab 

Humfrido  Chetham  Armig : 

Fundatae 

Ex  dono  Authoris, 

VIII.  "A  pamphlet  in  three  parts  containing:  (i) 
the  form  of  admitting  a  convert,  (2)  a  litany  for  such  as 
mourn,  etc.,  (3)  prayers  on  the  death  of  a  member  of 
the  Church." 

This  was  published  in  1746,  but  strange  to  say  no 
printed  copy  appears  to  exist  in  Manchester.  A  full 
MS.  copy  in  Deacon's  own  writing  is  included  in  the 
MSS.  referred  to  on  page  26.  The  year  of  its  publication 
was  that  in  which  the  two  years'  confinement  of  Charles 
Clement  Deacon  in  Southwark  New  Gaol  began. 
Whether  the  cover  of  the  book  on  which  his  name  is 
written  contained  exactly  what  it  now  does,  is  of  course 
a  matter  of  doubt,  but  it  may  be  that  Deacon  wrote  this 

N 


173 


THOMAS   DEACON 


copy  for  the  use  of  his  son.  In  the  form  of  admitting 
a  convert  the  Bishop  or  Priest  who  officiates  declares 
his  purpose  *'to  admit  the  persons  here  present  into  the 
communion  of  our  Church  as  into  that  of  a  pure  and 
sound  part  of  Christ's  Holy  Catholic  Church"  :  and  the 
question  put  to  the  candidate  is  "Dost  thou  desire  to 
be  admitted  into  this  branch  of  the  Catholic  Church 
militant  here  in  England,  which  hath  reformed  all  the 
errors,  corruptions,  and  defects  that  have  been  intruded 
into  the  modern  Churches  of  Christendom,  whether 
Rome,  England,  or  others."  Confirmation  and  ordina- 
tion in  the  English  Church,  as  received  through  "a  real 
but  unorthodox  bishop,"  are  acknowledged,  but  are  to 
be  completed  by  anointing  with  the  Holy  Chrism.  In 
the  case  of  a  cleric  the  question  was  to  be  put  "and  since 
thou  hast  received  the  order  of  deacon  or  priest  in  that 
unsound  and  defective  Church  to  which  thou  didst 
belong,  art  thou  desirous  to  have  the  said  order  allowed 
in  our  Church,  etc." 

It  is  not  improbable  that,  when  Deacon  composed 
this  form,  he  had  in  mind  the  possibility  that  some  of 
his  friends  of  the  Manchester  Clergy  might  "come  over" 
to  his  little  community.  Great  as  his  influence  over  the 
clergy  undoubtedly  was,  there  is  no  evidence  to  show 
that  it  was  sufficient  to  stretch  so  far  as  to  cause  any 
defection  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  clergy  from  the 
Church  to  which  their  allegiance  was  due. 

"  The  litany  for  the  use  of  those  who  mourn  for  the 
iniquities  of  the  present  times,  and  tremble  at  the  pros- 
pect of  impending  judgment,  etc.,"  need  not  detain  us 
long.  There  is  one  characteristic  sentence,  "  that  we 
may  be  delivered  from  all  scandalous  compliances,"  and 
another,  "that  the  hearts  of  the  national  clergy  may  be 
touched  with  a  true  sense  of  their  erroneous  doctrines 
and  practices,  and  that  none  of  them  may  prefer  their 
private  fancies  before  the  consentient  tradition  of  the 
Church  in  the  purest  and  early  times." 


APPENDIX  A  179 

It  may  be  worth  noting  that  a  reprint  of  this  litany 
was  made  at  Shrewsbury  in  1797  by  Bishop  WilHam 
Cartwright,  Thomas  Deacon's  son-in-law. 

''  The  prayers  on  the  death,  etc.,"  present  no  feature 
which  has  not  already  received  notice  in  these  pages. 

IX.  "A  full,  true,  comprehensive  View  of  Christ- 
ianity, containing  a  short  historical  account  of  Religion 
from  the  Creation  of  the  World  to  the  4th  century  after 
Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  also  the  Complete  duty  of  a 
Christian  in  relation  to  Faith,  Practice,  Worship,  and 
Rituals,  set  forth  sincerely  without  regard  to  any 
Modern  Church,  Sect,  or  Party,  as  it  is  taught  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  was  delivered  by  the  Apostles,  and 
received  by  the  Universal  Church  of  Christ  during  the 
four  first  centuries  :  the  whole  succinctly  and  fully  laid 
down  in  two  Catechisms,  a  shorter  and  a  longer,  each 
divided  into  two  parts,  whereof  the  one  comprehends 
sacred  history  and  the  other  Christian  doctrine.  The 
shorter  catechism  being  suited  to  the  meanest  capacity 
and  calculated  for  the  use  of  children  :  and  the  longer 
for  that  of  the  more  knowing  Christian,  to  which  is 
prefixed  a  discourse  upon  the  design  of  the  catechisms 
and  upon  the  best  method  of  instructing  youth  in 
them."     1747. 

The  book  was  sold  by  S.  Newton  in  Manchester: 
various  booksellers  in  London  :  also  at  York  and 
Rochdale. 

The  mere  reading  of  the  title  will  probably  cause 
feelings  not  far  removed  from  amusement,  and  the 
labour  necessary  to  the  production  of  the  work  must 
have  been  stupendous.  The  "View"  is  truly  **  Com- 
prehensive." No  list  exists  of  the  subscribers  to  the 
volume,  but  there  is  strong  reason  to  believe  that 
Deacon's  Manchester  friends  supported  him  to  a  very 
considerable  extent.  The  quotation  which  I  give  from 
"Manchester  Politics"  is  not,  I  suppose,  very  wide  of 
the  mark. 


i8o 


THOMAS   DEACON 


'*  Mr.  True  Blew  :  '  Has  not  Dr.  Deacon  published 
an  excellent  Form  of  Devotions,  and  a  new  Catechism  : 
and  does  anybody  but  the  people  of  Lancashire 
approve  of  them  ?  And  would  it  be  safe  for  our 
beneficed  clergy  to  write  in  defence  of  these  books? 
No,  sir,  as  the  lion  sends  out  his  jackal,  so  are  our 
clergy  by  the  Doctor's  book  trying  how  the  game 
lies  :  if  they  should  have  a  good  effect  we  should  have 
the  advantage  :  if  not  you  know  we  need  not  own  that 
we  know  ought  of  the  matter.* 

Mr.  Whig-Love :  'But  did  the  clergy  of  the 
Church  of  England  buy  these  books?  I  thought 
they  had  been  intended  for  the  use  of  his  own  con- 
gregation.' 

Mr.  T. :  '  His  own  congregation  were  about  twenty 
before  the  late  hurry  and  now  perhaps  not  above  sixty 
that  publicly  attend  him.  Sir,  I  assure  you  they  were 
intended  for  the  use  of  several  of  our  Church.  Why, 
sir,  the  clergy  themselves  solicited  subscriptions  for 
him.  The  first  impression,  which  I  heard  was  700, 
was  sold  off  in  a  few  weeks,  and  the  second,  which  was 
said  to  be  still  larger,  is  almost  all  dispK)sed  of.'  " 

It  is  certainly  the  case  that  a  second  edition  was  pub- 
lished in  1748.  A  copy  of  each  edition  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Manchester  Reference  Library.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  make  any  detailed  account  of  the  work  beyond  saying 
that  it  may  be  described  as  the  * '  Compleat  Devotions ' ' 
turned  into  the  form  of  question  and  answer,  with  a 
complete  explanation  of  all  that  was  taught  and  prac- 
tised in  the  "  Orthodox  British  Catholic  Church." 
Deacon  applies  the  word  "Sacrament"  to  no  less  than 
twelve  offices,  including  five  small  ceremonies  in  connec- 
tion  with   Holy   Baptism.^      This   appears   strange   to 

1.  Deacon's  twelve  Sacraments  are  as  follows  : — The  two  greater 
Sacraments  of  the  Gospel,  five  lesser  Sacraments  in  connection  with 
Baptism,  such  as  Exorcism,  etc.,  also  the  Sign  of  the  Cross,  Imposition 
of  Hands,  Unction,  Holy  Orders  and  Matrimony." 


APPENDIX  A  i8l 

those  accustomed  to  the  later  English  restriction  of  the 
term  to  the  two  Sacraments  of  the  Gospel,  but  it  is  to 
be  remembered  that  the  word  had  a  much  looser  signi- 
ficance in  the  early  ages.  It  was  in  the  first  four 
centuries  that  Deacon  really  lived,  and  his  definition  of 
a  Sacrament  would  not  appear  strange  to  an  average 
Christian  of  the  third  or  fourth  century. 

It  may  be  worth  noting  that  Bishop  Dowden  states 
on  page  331  of  his  "Annotated  Scottish  Communion 
Office*'  that  Deacon's  Catechism  was  used  by  Bishop 
Jolly  in  Aberdeen  down  to  the  year  1829,  so  that  there 
may  be  i>ersons  now  living  whose  immediate  ancestors 
were  taught  the  Christian  religion  according  to  what 
has  been  described  as  '*  Dr.  Deacon's  learned  but 
somewhat  arid  catechism." 

I  append  a  passage  from  the  section  entitled  "  The 
best  method  of  teaching  the  catechism  to  children."  It 
presents  Deacon  in  a  very  natural  and  not  unfavourable 
light.  **  The  best  catechists  would  be  the  fathers  of 
families  if  everyone  were  well  instructed  and  careful  to 
teach  his  children  and  domestics.  They  would  do  much 
more  good  than  Priests  and  Pastors  can.  We  explain 
the  catechism  to  children  only  at  Church,  upon  certain 
days,  and  go  through  it  in  a  short  space  of  time : 
numbers  of  children  are  there  together  and  their  minds 
are  usually  distracted  by  the  company  and  the  several 
objects  which  strike  them  on  all  sides.  From  hence 
comes  the  trouble  that  there  is  to  make  them  attentive, 
as  well  as  interruptions  and  reprimands  which  take  up 
half  of  the  time  appointed  for  the  catechism.  When 
you  are  turned  to  one  side  the  other  go  out  of  their 
places  :  if  you  apply  yourself  to  one  child  ten  others  will 
play:  you  have  always  to  begin  over  again.  On  the 
contrary,  in  the  house  children  are  always  more  recol- 
lected, because  they  are  more  free.  If  they  have  not 
that  fear  about  them  which  renders  them  sometimes 
immovable  at  Church,  yet  their  thoughts  are  more  undis- 


Z82 


THOMAS  DEACON 


turbed.  A  father  that  has  but  three  or  four  to  teach, 
who  have  been  accustomed  to  respect  him,  has  no 
trouble  to  keep  them  to  their  duty  :  he  has  them  every 
day  with  him  :  he  may  make  use  of  that  time  when  they 
are  of  the  most  teachable  disposition  :  he  knows  their 
capacity,  genius,  and  inclinations.  He  can  instruct 
them  at  his  leisure  and  spend  all  the  time  upon  them 
which  is  necessary.  And  indeed  this  must  be  a  work 
of  time:  for  as  children  cannot  apply  themselves  much 
at  once,  the  instruction  must  be  often  repeated  and 
continued  for  several  years,  advancing  as  their  minds 
and  manners  form  themselves.  What  I  say  of  fathers, 
must  be  understood  of  mothers  proportionately,  especi- 
ally with  regard  to  daughters  :  and  I  say  nothing  here 
but  what  I  have  seen  and  known  by  experience." 

X.  **  An  Apologetical  Epistle  to  the  Author  of 
Remarks  on  two  pamphlets  lately  published  against 
Dr.  Middleton's  Introductory  Discourse  in  which  the 
Preface  to  those  Remarks  is  considered  :  by  the  Author 
of  a  Full,  True,  and  Comprehensive  View  of  Christianity, 
etc. :  London,  printed  for  J.  &  J.  Rivington,  in  St. 
Paul's  Churchyard,  and  S.  Newton,  Bookseller  in 
Manchester,   1748,  price  6d." 

The  title  of  this  pamphlet  sufficiently  explains  the 
reasons  of  its  publication.  Dr.  Conyers  Middleton 
(1683 — 1750)  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  is  famous 
for  his  disputes  with  Dr.  Bentley,  and  was  engaged  for 
the  whole  of  his  life  in  controversies  of  a  more  or  less 
acrimonious  description.  He  was  strongly  opposed  to 
Roman  theology  and  published  in  1729  a  letter  from 
Rome  condemnatory  not  merely  of  ceremonies  properly 
styled  Roman,  but  of  all  which  might  claim  the  sanction 
of  primitive  antiquity.  Dr.  Middleton  was  an  Old 
Testament  critic  of  what  was  then  regarded  as  a  very 
advanced  type,  and  it  is  probable  that  his  personal 
position  was  far  removed  from  orthodoxy.     That  he  was 


APPENDIX  A  183 

at  the  opfMDsite  pole  of  religious  thought  from  Deacon 
is  evident  from  the  quotation  which  I  subjoin  from  the 
preface  to  his  Remarks  in  which  he  refers  to  Deacon's 
Comprehensive  View.  **The  author  of  these  catechisms 
appears  to  be  a  man  of  sense  and  learning  :  warmly 
persuaded  of  the  truth  and  importance  of  what  he 
delivers,  and  delivering  it  with  much  piety  and  gravity, 
and  with  more  candour  than  we  commonly  observe  in 
writers  of  his  zeal  and  principles.  The  plan  also  of 
Christianity  which  he  has  proposed  to  us  seems  to  be  a 
fair  and  just  representation  of  the  discipline  of  the 
primitive  churuch,  or  of  such  a  part  at  least  as  he  thinks 
fit  to  recommend  to  the  practice  of  the  present  age. 
And  if  we  grant  him  his  main  principle  that  unwritten 
tradition,  as  it  is  exemplified  by  the  universal  practice 
of  the  ancient  Fathers  and  Churches,  is  of  Apostolic 
origin,  we  must  grant  likewise  that  all  the  rites  and 
doctrines  which  he  has  deduced  from  it  are  the  essential 
parts  of  the  Christian  religion  and  of  equal  obligation 
with  the  Gospel  itself.  I  could  never  consider  these 
plans  of  Primitive  Christianity,  when  published  by 
Protestants,  in  any  other  light  than  as  preliminary 
articles  offered  to  the  Church  of  Rome  as  the  ground 
for  a  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation  in  which  the  few 
remaining  points  of  difference  might  easily  be  accom- 
modated. I  am  a  perfect  stranger  to  the  author  of  this 
piece,  nor  have  any  other  knowledge  of  his  character 
than  what  has  been  signified  to  me  by  his  writings  and 
the  report  of  common  fame.  The  warm  expressions  of 
piety  and  devotion  which  run  through  his  whole  p)er- 
formance    oblige    me    to    think    him    an    honest    man. 

Fame  also  has  informed  me  that  he  lives  up  to  the 
character  which  his  book  points  out  to  us  :  practises 
what  he  professes  and  is  an  example  of  that  discipline 
which  he  prescribes  to  others." 

Deacon's  reply  deals  almost  entirely  with  the  charge 
of  being  Popishly  affected,  and  is  of  interest  as  showing 


x84 


THOMAS  DEACON 


his  attitude  to  the  Roman  Church  in  his  latter  days. 
He  points  out  that  Popery  "  has  a  very  vague  and 
undefined  meaning  and  that  Dr.  Middleton  ought  to 
have  given  a  precise  definition  of  what  it  really  is, 
abstracted  from  pKDpular  ignorance  and  prejudice.  For 
want  of  this  we  are  quite  at  a  loss,  because  some  things 
which  you  call  Popery  are  in  reality  pure  Christianity, 
and  others  that  are  universally  taught  and  practised  by 
Protestants  are  rank  Popery."  Deacon  then  proceeds 
to  quote  from  the  30th  Canon  of  the  Church  of  England 
concerning  the  "  Sign  of  the  Cross,"  from  which  he 
concludes  that  the  idea  of  Popyery  conceived  in  this 
Canon  is  the  same  with  his,  but  **you  on  the  contrary 
seem  to  place  it  in  agreeing  with  the  Church  of  Rome 
in  any  doctrine,  practice,  or  ceremony  whatever,  whether 
true  or  false,  material  or  indifferent.  Primitive  or  really 
Popish.  You  are  pleased  to  say  that  I  have  gone  as 
far  towards  Popery  as  I  could  possibly  do,  while  I  yet 
retain  the  name  of  Protestant.  I  assure  you,  sir,  if  I 
had  not  better  arguments  to  hinder  me,  your  way  of 
talking  would  drive  me  into  the  Church  of  Rome ;  and 
I  wish  that  you  are  not  the  unhappy  instrument  of 
sending  many  persons  thither;  as  to  the  name 
"  Protestant"  I  never  claimed  it,  and  own  that  I  have 
no  juster  title  to  it  than  to  that  of  "Papist."  No,  I 
disclaim  them  both.  Christian  is  my  name  and  Catholic 
my  surname.  Excuse  me  for  using  the  noble  saying 
of  one  of  the  old  despised  fathers." 

Finally  I  may  be  permitted  to  quote  one  more  passage 
as  illustrative  of  Deacon's  attitude  to  the  English 
Church. 


**  I  assure  you  that  I  am  sincerely  well  affected  to 
her,  as  far  as  she  agrees  with  her  own  declarations, 
cited  in  the  beginning  of  this  epistle,  but  I  cannot 
help  wishing  her  perfectly  reformed  according  to  her 
own  rule  from  all  Popish  and  Calvinistic  errors  and 


APPENDIX  A  185 

defects :  and  if  this  is  being  disaffected  to  her  present 
constitution,  I  freely  confess  I  am  so." 

It  may  be  claimed  that  a  complete  account  has  now 
been  given  of  all  the  works  which  are  beyond  question 
to  be  attributed  to  the  pen  of  Thomas  Deacon,  but  in 
the  MS.  Catalogue  of  the  Library  of  the  Rev.  John 
Clayton  there  are  to  be  found  under  the  name  of  Thomas 
Deacon  the  titles  of  the  following  works  concerning 
which  no  knowledge  now  remains. 

**  Dr.  Waterland  imitated  in  his  controversial  man- 
agement of  Mr.  Johnson."     1738 

**  Translation  of  Bishop  Beveridge's  *  Concio  ad 
Clerum.'  " 

**  Family  Prayer."     Manchester,  1738. 

**  Devotions  for  Catholic  Christians."  Liverpool, 
1747. 

All  the  above  works  appeared  to  have  been  printed, 
but  mention  is  made  of  a  MS.  which  would  be  extremely 
interesting  to  read.  In  1733  Edward  Byrom,  elder 
brother  of  John  Byrom,  published  a  ''Serious  Dissuasive 
from  Horse  Races;"  this  pamphlet  is  entered  in  the 
catalogue  of  the  Manchester  Reference  Library  under 
the  name  of  John  Byrom,  but  in  John  Clayton's  MS. 
catalogue  the  name  is  clearly  that  of  Edward,  and  it 
may  be  attributed  without  much  doubt  to  the  elder 
brother.  A  pamphlet  followed,  entitled,  **  Remarks  on 
Mr.  Byrom's  Dissuasive;"  this  is  usually  attributed  to 
the  Reverend  Thomas  Cattell,  and  is  in  the  form  of  a 
mild  rebuke  of  the  extreme  puritan  attitude  adopted  by 
Edward  Byrom.  Thomas  Deacon  appears  to  have  made 
a  comment  on  Cattell's  pamphlet,  and  it  is  entered  under 
his  name  in  John  Clayton's  catalogue  as  **  Remarks 
upon  the  Remarker,"  etc. 


i87 


APPENDIX    B. 

Quotations  from  the  "  Byrom— Owen  "  Controversy 
of   1746-48. 

The  purpose  of  this  Appendix  is  to  record  passages 
originally  written  in  connection  with  the  controversy  of 
1746-8,  and  containing  a  considerable  amount  of  infor- 
mation concerning  parts  of  Deacon's  life  about  which 
little  is  known  from  any  other  source. 


I.  From    Whitworth's   Manchester   Magazine,    of   Sep- 
tember 23rd,   1746. 

Manchester,  September  22nd.  Last  Thursday  about 
five  in  the  morning  the  heads  of  Thomas  Siddall  and 
Thomas  Deacon  were  fixed  upon  the  Exchange.  Great 
numbers  have  been  to  view  them  and  yesterday  betwixt 
eight  and  nine  in  the  morning.  Dr.  Deacon,  a  non-juring 
priest  and  father  to  one  of  them,  made  a  full  stop  near 
the  Exchange  and  looking  up  at  the  heads  pulled  off  his 
hat  and  made  a  bow  to  them  with  great  reverence.  He 
afterwards  stood  some  time  looking  at  them  :  a  gentle- 
man of  this  town  was  with  him  and  a  considerable 
number  of  spectators  were  present.  He  and  some  of  his 
flock  have  been  seen  to  do  so  before  several  times. 


2.  From  the  Chester  Courant,  28th  October,  1746. 

Manchester,  October  21st.  The  9th  inst.  being  the 
day  appointed  for  a  Public  Thanksgiving  was  observed 
here  with  all  the  marks  of  loyalty  and  joy  suitable  to  so 


188 


THOMAS   DEACON 


glorious  and  happy  an  occasion.  There  is  among  us  a 
poor  woman,  Mrs.  Siddall,  late  wife  to  one  of  the 
unhappy  persons  whose  heads  have  been  fixed  up  here 
and  at  present  a  distressed  widow,  deprived  of  her 
family's  chief  support  and  burthened  with  five  young 
children,  who  being  too  much  swallowed  up  in  her  own 
private  calamity  to  enter  into  the  public  rejoicing  or 
show  any  marks  of  joy  upon  an  event,  which  tho'  happy 
to  the  whole,  is  melancholy  and  fatal  enough,  God 
knows,  to  her,  neglected  to  light  her  candles :  upon 
which  a  party  of  soldiers  along  with  some  townsmen 
assaulted  her  house  in  the  most  violent  and  outrageous 
manner,  not  only  breaking  the  windows  and  demolish- 
ing the  shutters  and  the  very  frames  of  the  sashes,  but 
even  threatening  to  lay  it  level  with  the  ground  :  so  that 
she  was  forced  to  fly  with  her  children  to  a  neighbour's 
house  and  to  leave  her  own  to  their  mercy.  The  scandal 
too  of  this  illegal,  injurious,  and  inhuman  action  was 
aggravated  by  its  being  done  within  six  yards  of  the 
principal  guard,  the  sentinel  walking  at  the  very  door 
without  any  offer  to  prevent  it,  and  not  forty  from  the 
house  where  the  officers  and  civil  magistrates  were 
celebrating  the  day.  I  shall  conclude  with  a  piece  of 
wit  handed  about  here,  severe  indeed,  but  just  enough, 
I  must  own,  upon  this  occasion. 

By  the  bare  letter  of  the  text,  a  laic 

Might  think  the  times  were  very  Pharisaic : 

Long  prayers  to  Heaven  are  in  the  morning  poured. 

At  night  behold,  the  Widow's  house  devoured ! 

Yours,     Phileleutherus  Mancuniensis. 


It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark  that  the  above 
composition,  prose  and  verse  alike,  is  universally 
attributed  to  John  Byrom. 


APPENDIX  B  189 

3.  From  the    Whitehall  Evening  Post,    nth   October, 
1746. 
Extract  of  a  letter  from  Manchester,  dated  October 
6th,  from  a  person  whose  credit  may  be  depended  upon. 

**At  present  this  town  is  but  a  rough  place.  Down 
with  the  rump :  Down  with  the  Hanoverians,  Pres- 
byterians :  Down  with  the  King,  is  so  familiar  to  us 
that  we  expect  it  as  soon  as  daylight  is  over,  though 
some  have  been  so  impudent  as  to  shout  it  in  open 
day.  But  we  have  had  some  of  Bland's  dragoons 
here,  near  a  fortnight,  and  now  our  people  begin  to  be 
a  little  quieter.  Jacobite,  Non-juring,  and  even 
Popish  Principles  are  now  making  a  greater  progress 
here  than  ever,  being  propagated  with  equal  industry 
and  success.  The  two  rebel  heads  are  revered  and 
almost  adored  as  trophies  of  martyrdom.  The  father 
of  one  of  them  (who  is  a  non-juring  bishop)  as  he 
passes  them  frequently  pulls  off  his  hat  and  looks  at 
them  above  a  minute  with  a  solemn,  consequential 
smile.  Some  suppose  he  offers  up  a  prayer  for  them, 
others  to  them.  His  church  daily  increases  and  he  is 
in  the  highest  credit  and  intimacy  with  most  of  our 
clergy.** 

Remarks  on  the  above  published  in  the  Chester  Courant, 
nth  November,  1746. 

Manchester,  October  27th.  A  stranger,  when  he  is 
told  that  "Popish  principles  are  propagated  with  equal 
industry  and  success  and  are  now  making  a  greater 
progress  here  than  ever,"  must  naturally  suppose  that 
we  have  a  great  many  papists  among  us,  and  that  the 
number  is  much  increased  of  late.  Now  God  be 
thanked,  to  the  confusion  of  this  slanderer,  it  is  our 
peculiar  happiness  to  have  fewer  in  proportion  of  that 
denomination  than  any  large  populous  town  in  the 
Kingdom.     But  I  fancy  he  will  have  recourse  to  the 


190 


THOMAS  DEACON 


old  canting  evasion  of  Papists  in  disguise,  Papists  in 
their  hearts,  Popishly  affected,  etc.,  by  which  terms  a 
certain  set  of  people  mean  all  those  who  are  strenuous 
asserters  of  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Church  of 
England,  as  well  against  fanatical  latitude  and  neglig- 
ence as  popish  tyranny  and  superstition.  He  is  pleased 
in   the   next  place   to   descend   to   a   particular   charge 

against  Dr.   D n,  of  this  place,  whom  he  styles  a 

non-juring  bishop.  As  to  pulling  off  the  hats,  not 
being  quite  so  great  a  bigot  as  to  refuse  to  speak  to  a 
non-juring  bishop,  I  asked  the  Dr.  how  far  it  was  true  ? 
And  he  assured  me  that  he  had  never  passed  by  his  son's 
head  but  once,  and  then  indeed  he  did  pull  off  his  hat. 
Not  caring  to  be  so  free  as  to  ask  him  the  reason,  I  shall 
suppose  with  the  faithful  relator  that  it  was  either  to 
offer  up  a  prayer  to  him,  or  for  him;  the  first  is  too 
absurd  to  deserve  an  answer,  and  the  latter  if  true  is  a 
practice,  which  tho'  disputed  among  the  divines  of  the 
Church  of  England,  yet  humanity  can  hardly  tell  how 
to  censure.  The  increase  of  his  Church  truly  is  a  matter 
of  more  concern,  but  here  I  cannot  help  smiling  at  the 
word  Church,  brought  in,  not  I  daresay  out  of  any 
respect  to  the  word,  but  to  insinuate  as  if  it  was  some 
great  and  numerous  assembly,  dangerous  to  the  body 
politic,  whereas  upon  the  strictest  examination  I  cannot 
find  above  a  score  and  those  too  of  no  great  figure  or 
substance  who  are  partakers  with  him  in  his  religious 
singularity.  What  connection  is  there  between  politics 
and  the  Dr.'s  restoring  primitive  ecclesiastical  usages? 
What  has  his  Mixt  Cup,  Infant  Communion,  Trine 
Immersion,  etc.,  to  do  with  King  George  and  the 
Pretender  ?  The  last  stroke  of  his  malice  is  at  the  clergy 
here  for  their  respect  forsooth  to  the  Dr.  The  Dr.,  I 
own,  is  respected  by  most  of  the  clergy,  and  to  please 
this  writer,  I  will  add,  by  most  of  the  laity  too.  What 
then  ?  I  could  name  to  him  in  turn  several  rigid 
dissenters  in  the  highest  credit  and  intimacy  with  some 


APPENDIX  B  191 

of  our  clergy ;  and  if  it  be  wrong  (which  indeed  is  a  new 
doctrine  to  me)  for  the  clergy  to  res|>ect  and  converse 
with  people  of  different  opinions  in  religion,  I  think  the 
character  of  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
much  less  danger  from  his  acquaintance  with  a  non- 
juring  bishop  than  with  a  Calvinistical  Dissenter.^ 

4.  From    the    Manchester    Magazine,    25th    November, 

1746. 

Manchester,  20th  November.  The  Jacobite  pensioners 
in  the  poetical  way  having  acted  their  part  and  their  wit 
being  near  exhausted,  their  champions  in  prose,  their 
masters  of  reasoning  and  argument,  are  now  ordered 
forth  from  their  club  on  duty,  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of 
their  friends  and  support  the  character  of  one  of  their 
leaders,  a  practitioner  in  Physic,  and  a  Priest  (not  of 
the  Church  of  England)  who  is  endeavouring  to 
strengthen  his  Master  the  P.'s  interest,  and  party,  as 
much  as  ever  he  formerly  weakened  it  by  his  physical 
pill.  That  this  advocate  of  the  party  might  have  an 
opportunity  to  show  his  skill  he  has  reprinted  an  extract 
of  a  letter  in  the  Evening  Post  with  remarks.     I  beg  the 

next  time  he  meets  with  Dr.   D n  he  will  put  the 

question  to  him  again,  and  I  daresay  he  will  find  that 
the  Dr.  will  own  he  has  paid  his  devotions  to  the  heads 
often  :  and  let  not  his  modesty  prevent  one  request  more, 
that  he  may  be  satisfied  whether  any  internal  reverence 
was  designed  to  them  or  not.  Praying  for  the  dead  and 
bowing  to  the  relicts  of  rebels,  though  he  says  it  is  a 
disputed  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  England  divines,  he 
will  find  very  few  that  allow  of  it,  except  they  are  some 

of  Dr.  D n's  Manchester  acquaintance.     How  great 

a  friend  the  Remarker  himself  may  be  to  such  doctrine 

1.  It  is  generally  thought  that  Byrom  was  the  author  of  these 
Remarks,  but  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  they  are  to  be  attributed  to 
some  other  member  of  the  Jacobite  party,  possibly  to  Thyer,  the 
Librarian.  In  the  next  extract  it  will  be  seen  that  Owen  hints  at  the 
appearance  on  the  scene  of  a  new  writer. 


192 


THOMAS  DEACON 


is  very  easily  seen  in  his  winking  at  and  encouraging 
the  increase  of  the  Dr.'s  Church,  a  church  among  whose 
articles  are  purgatory  and  praying  for  the  dead,  and 
which  is  contrary  to  the  Church  of  England  in  doctrine, 
discipline,  and  usages :  for  he  would  make  us  imagine 
that  there  is  no  harm  in  the  toleration  of  it  by  putting 
an  evasive  question,  **What  has  the  Mixt  Cup,  Trine 
Immersion,  Infant  Communion,  etc.,  to  do  with  King 
George  and  the  Pretender?"  Why  nothing,  as  we  all 
know  as  well  as  he ;  but  that  is  not  the  case,  for  his  new 
converts  are  not  so  much  in  love  with  his  cup,  his 
communion,  or  immersion,  as  with  his  rancour  and 
disaffection  to  the  present  Government,  and  none  can 
become  members  of  the  one  that  are  not  enemies  to  the 
other.  "The  last  stroke  of  malice,"  says  this  meek  and 
benevolent  Remarker,  "is  at  the  clergy."  But  what 
would  anyone  think  of  a  clergyman  who  assisted  in  the 
composing  of  his  liturgy,  and  of  another  who  acted  in 
a  military  capacity  and  headed  a  party  in  defence  of  his 
house,  which  was  darkened  in  contempt  of  the  rejoicings 
on  the  evening  of  the  Thanksgiving  Day,  and  the  sense 
of  the  town.^ 


5.  From  the  Chester  Courant,  Tuesday,  9th  December, 

1746. 

This  is  written  under  Thomas  Deacon's  own  name. 

I  find  myself  obliged  out  of  a  sincere  regard  to  truth 
and  for  my  necessary  vindication  to  send  you  the  follow- 
ing declaration.  **  Whereas  an  anonymous  writer  in 
Whitworth's  Manchester  Magazine  of  November  25th 
has  thought  fit  to  make  free  with  my  name  and  taken 
upon  him  to  assert  that  I  adopt  the  political  principles 
of  indefeasible  and  hereditary  right,  etc.,  into  my 
religion  and  make  these  an  essential  part  of  it,  and  that 
none  can  become  members  of  the  Church  to  which  I 

1.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  this  anonymous  writer  is  to  be 
identified  with  Josiah  Owen. 


APPENDIX  B  193 

belong  that  are  not  enemies  to  the  present  Government, 
I  do  hereby  declare  that  the  same  is  utterly  false;  that 
I  adopt  no  political  principles  into  my  religion,  but  what 
are  expressed  in  our  Common  Prayer  Book  entitled 
*A  Complete  Collection  of  Devotions  *  which  is  entirely 
free  from  all  objections  of  this  nature ;  that  the  form  of 
admitting  a  member  into  our  Church  has  not  one  word 
in  it  relating  to  State  matters;  and  that  I  have  told  the 
new  converts  mentioned  by  this  author  that  I  hoped  they 
did  not  apply  to  me  upon  the  account  of  national  affairs 
and  government  prayers,  for  that  we  went  upon  a  quite 
different  scheme. 

6.  From  the  Supplement  to  the  Gentleman's  Magazine 
for  1746. 

Dated  December  19th,  1746,  and  signed  **  Philo- 
patriae"  (who  was  undoubtedly  Owen) :  a  reply  to  the 
Remarks  on  the  letter  in  the  Whitehall  Evening  Post, 

**To  say  that  the  enemies  of  Protestantism  and  the 
present  Government  are  Popishly  affected,  you  insinuate 
to  be  no  more  than  a  canting  evasion.  But  who  are  the 
certain  set  of  people  you  mention  that  make  use  of  the 
canting  evasion  above.  Name  your  certain  set  if  you 
dare  and  then  let  the  world  determine.  It  seems  accord- 
ing to  your  estimate  of  things — that  the  character  of  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  is  much  less 
dangerous  from  his  acquaintance  with  a  non-juring 
bishop  than  with  a  Calvinistical  dissenter.  I  under- 
stand you  sir ;   better  be  a  Papist  than  a  Presbyterian — 

better  be  an  intimate  of  Dr.  D n,  a  non-juring  priest, 

who  absolved  Justice  Hall  and  Parson  Paul  at  the 
gallows  after  the  Rebellion  in  '15:  who  declared 
publicly  to  them  at  Tyburn  that  the  fact  for  which  they 
dyM  was  meritorious;  who  in  consequence  thereof  had 
warrants  issued  out  against  him  from  the  Secretary  of 
State's  office,  and  thereupon  was  sent  and  supported  by 


194 


THOMAS   DEACON 


the  contributions  of  the  party  to  study  physic  in  Holland, 
since  which  he  returned  to  England  and  has  lived  un- 
molested at  M ster;    better  be  an  intimate  of  Dr. 

D n's  who  had  three  sons  in  the  late  Rebellion,  and 

declared  to  a  gentleman  of  distinction  that  he  should 
have  thought  himself  obliged  to  join  in  it,  only  that  he 
had  a  dispensation  to  excuse  him;  and  who  while  the 
rebels  were  in  Manchester  had  the  very  distinguishing 
honour  paid  him  of  being  escorted  by  a  file  of  musketeers 
to  the  Pretender's  lodgings;  better  be  an  intimate  of 
this  man's  than  of  a  Calvinistical  dissenter  that  is  a 
friend  to  King  George,  Liberty,  and  the  Constitution.*' 


7.  From  the  Chester  Courant,  21st  April,  1747. 

This  is  probably  from  the  pen  of  John  Byrom,  and  is 
a  reply  to  the  foregoing  letter  in  the  Gentleman* s 
Magazine, 

*'I  must,  in  compliance  with  a  challenge  which  this 
hero  in  a  desperate  pother  gives  me,  tell  him  who  I  mean 
by  the  certain  set  I  mentioned.  I  mean  by  this  certain 
set,  that  tribe  of  sectaries  who  have  for  more  than  a 
century  past  shown  the  utmost  enmity  and  hatred  to  the 
Church  of  England,  exemplified  this  hatred  once  by  a 
total  subversion  of  episcopal  government,  and  again 
with  an  interested  servile  compliance  with  a  Popish 
Prince  in  his  Popish  designs  merely  to  raise  themselves 
to  some  degree  of  power  which  had  been  wisely  denied 
them  before.  I  shall  agree  with  my  nettled  opponent, 
to  calm  him  a  little,  that  this  Certain  Set  are  intention- 
ally at  least  enemies  to  Popery  and  arbitrary  power  too, 
except  when  they  can  grasp  it  themselves.  He  must 
needs   make   use   of  a  personal   invective   against   Dr. 

D n,  every  article  of  which,  except  his  having  three 

sons  in  the  Rebellion,  which  I  doubt  not  was  the  mis- 
fortune of  many  an  honest  brother  dissenter,  is  false, 
as  the  Dr.  himself  will  at  a  proper  time  make  appear. 


APPENDIX  B  195 

Nay,  so  stupidly  malicious  is  this  false  accuser,  that 
several  of  his  accusations,  viz.,  his  absolving,  etc.,  are 
of  that  nature  that  thousands  now  living  can  of  their 
own  knowledge  declare  the  contrary. 

8.  From  the  Chester  Courant,  26th  April,  1748. 

Written  under  the  name  of  Thomas  Deacon  at  Man- 
chester on  1 8th  April.  The  letter  begins  by  referring 
to  the  attack  made  upon  him  by  Owen  in  the  Supplement 
to  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  1746,  and  to  the  state- 
ment made  in  the  Chester  Courant,  that  the  "Dr.  will 
at  a  proper  time  make  appear"  the  falsity  of  the  accusa- 
tions against  him.  It  proceeds  to  say  that  Owen  of 
Rochdale  has  acknowledged  in  his  pamphlet,  "Jacobite 
and  Non-juring  Principles,"  etc.,  that  he  was  the  author 
of  the  above  mentioned  letter  in  the  Gentleman's 
Magazine,  Deacon's  vindication  may  now  be  quoted 
at  some  length. 

**I  do  therefore  think  this  the  proper  time  to  perform 
my  friend's  promise  and  to  make  the  falsity  of  the  above 
personal  invective  appear  :  which  I  consider  will  be  best 
done  by  answering  it,  article  by  article." 

1.  **  Who  absolved  Justice  Hall  and  Parson  Paul  at 
the  gallows  after  the  Rebellion  in  the  year  '15."  A 
clear  and  peremptory  denial  of  a  charge  unsupported  by 
proof  must  always  be  deemed  a  prop>er  and  sufficient 
answer  :  but  in  this  case  I  can  not  only  positively  affirm 
that  I  did  not  officiate  with  those  unfortunate  gentlemen 
in  their  dying  moments  :  but  also  inform  the  public  that 
the  clergyman  who  did  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Francis  Peck, 
M.A.,  formerly  of  Trinity  College,  in  Cambridge.  Nay 
I  can  venture  further  to  assert  that  neither  he  nor  any 
other  j>erson  did  then  and  there  absolve  them. 

2.  **Who  declared  publicly  at  Tyburn  that  the  fact 
for  which  they  dy'd  was  meritorious."  This  I  affirm 
to  be  as  false  as  the  foregoing  article  :    I  declared  no 


196 


THOMAS   DEACON 


such    thing    to    them    at    Tyburn,    either    publicly    or 
privately. 

3.  "Who  in  consequence  thereof  had  warrants  issued 
out  against  him  from  the  Secretary  of  State's  office.*' 
This  conclusion  must  necessarily  be  as  false  as  the  facts 
upon  which  it  is  founded^  and  this  is  the  first  time  that 
I  ever  heard  of  any  warrant  from  the  Secretary  of  State's 
office  being  issued  out  against  me  in  my  whole  life.  It 
is  impossible  for  me  to  prove  a  negative  in  this  case; 
but  I  challenge  the  writer  to  produce  his  authority  for 
the  truth   of  this   assertion. 

4.  **And  thereupon  was  sent  and  supported  by  the 
contributions  of  the  party  to  study  physic  in  Holland." 
Every  part  of  this  branch  of  the  accusation  is  false.  In 
the  first  place,  I  could  not  possibly  go  abroad,  for 
reasons  which  I  have  already  shown  never  subsisted  : 
and  in  the  next  place,  I  do  solemnly  declare  that  I  was 
neither  sent  abroad  by  any  party  nor  supported  there  by 
any  contributions.  On  the  contrary,  to  the  confusion 
of  this  slanderer,  I  stayed  in  London  and  appeared 
publicly  there  every  day  for  above  three  months  after  the 
execution  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Paul  and  John  Hall,  Esq. : 
and  when  I  went  into  Holland  it  was  not  at  all  upon  the 
account  of  my  behaviour  with  regard  to  them,  which  I 
never  yet  heard  the  Government  was  displeased  with, 
but  upon  a  quite  different  occasion.  When  I  resided 
there,  I  lived  upon  my  own  fortune  :  and  so  far  was  I 
from  studying  physic  that  I  had  not  at  the  time  the 
least  intention  of  engaging  in  that  profession ;  but 
entered  upon  it  and  prosecuted  it  afterwards  in  London 
under  the  particular  direction  and  with  the  kind  assist- 
ance of  my  best  of  friends,  the  very  worthy  and  learned 
Dr.  Mead. 

5.  "Since  which  he  returned  to  England  and  has  lived 

unmolested  at  M ster."      If  the  having  my  house 

searched  for  papers  by  military  violence  under  cover  of 
a  warrant  signed  by  two  Justices  of  the  Peace,  who  it 


APPENDIX  B  197 

is  very  well  known  have  no  authority  to  issue  warrants 
in  such  cases;  if  its  being  attacked  more  than  once  by 
a  furious  mob  and  unrestrained  soldiery;  if  the  living 
for  some  time  under  constant  apprehension  of  its  being 
pulled  down  to  the  ground  and  the  being  compelled  to 
remove  my  children  out  of  their  beds  to  prevent  their 
being  buried  under  its  ruins;  I  say  if  this  be  "living 
unmolested,"  then  this  writer  has  for  once  spoken  truth; 
but  if  being  used  in  this  arbitrary  and  tyrannical  manner 
could  not  but  be  attended  by  some  "molestation,"  then 
he  is  guilty  of  falsehood  in  this  as  in  all  the  preceding 
articles. 

6.  "Who  had  three  sons  in  the  late  Rebellion."  As 
this  concerns  not  me  directly,  I  shall  say  nothing  to  it, 
but  leave  it  to  the  judgment  of  every  candid  reader. 

7.  "And  declared  to  a  gentleman  of  distinction  that 
he  should  have  thought  himself  obliged  to  join  in  it  only 
that  he  had  a  dispensation  to  excuse  him."  This  is  a 
charge  of  such  a  kind  that  I  can  only  answer  it  by 
sincerely  affirming  that  I  neither  had  any  such  "dispen- 
sation" nor  made  any  such  "declaration,"  and  therefore 
I  must  look  upon  it  if  not  as  a  forgery  of  this  writer's 
yet  at  least  as  a  misapprehension  of  his  friend  the 
"gentleman  of  distinction,"  and  I  shall  leave  the  world 
to  judge  whether,  if  I  had  taken  such  a  dangerous  step 
as  to  obtain  a  dispensation  of  this  nature,  it  is  at  all 
probable  that  I  should  have  enhanced  the  danger  by 
revealing  it  to  a  person  who  was  likely  to  "distinguish" 
himself  by  publishing  it  to  my  disadvantage.  But  it  is 
time  to  come  to  the  concluding  articles. 

8.  "And  who  while  the  rebels  were  at  Manchester  had 
the  very  distinguishing  honour  paid  him  of  being 
escorted  to  the  Pretender's  lodgings  by  a  file  of 
musketeers."  Had  this  very  distinguishing  honour,  as 
he  terms  it,  been  paid  to  me,  I  fancy  I  should  only  have 
enjoyed  it  in  common  with  several  persons  of  unques- 
tioned attachment  to  the  present  Government,  but  to 


198 


THOMAS   DEACON 


make  this  narrative  regular  and  uniform,  this  too  is 
false,  for  I  was  not  escorted  by  any  musketeer  or 
musketeers  whatever. 

I  thought  that  I  was  obliged  no  longer  to  delay  the 
doing  this  justice  to  myself;  especially  as  I  found  that 
the  silence,  which  for  prudential  reasons,  I  had  hitherto 
observed  on  this  head,  had  been  by  some  represented 
as  an  acknowledgment  of  the  truth  of  what  I  had  been 
accused  of.  And  I  shall  leave  the  world  to  judge  what 
credit  for  the  future  will  be  due  to  a  writer  who  could 
either  be  so  base  and  shameless  to  assert  things  which 
he  knew  to  be  false,  or  (to  suppose  the  best)  so  mon- 
strously weak  and  credulous,  as  confidently  to  relate  for 
undoubted  facts  what  the  least  enquiry  would  have 
shown  him  to  have  been  entirely  groundless." 


9.  From    Owen's    "Dr.    Deacon    Try'd    by    his    own 
Tribunal.** 

The  person  you  say  who  officiated  with  Paul  and 
Hall  in  their  dying  moments  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Francis 
Peck.  To  convict  you  without  further  ceremony,  let 
us  hear  what  Mr.  Lorrain  says,  then  Ordinary  of 
Newgate.  He  expressly  declares  that  your  two  unfor- 
tunate gentlemen  desired  a  non-juring  priest  to  pray 
with  them  at  Tyburn,  which  was  granted.  He  prayed 
with  them  a  considerable  time  and  then  made  off. 
Afterwards,  he  says,  I  offered  to  pray  with  them,  but 
they  were  not  very  desirous  I  should,  neither  would 
they  kneel  at  my  prayers  as  they  did  at  the  non-juring 
minister's;  upon  which  I  told  them  that  since  they 
were  unwilling  to  kneel  down  with  me  I  would  stay  till 
they  were  tied  up,  which  I  did,  and  then  prayed.  Now 
sir,  by  your  second  rule,  that  of  credible  evidence,  you 
stand  here  self  condemned  and  convicted;  convicted  of 
downright  forgery  or  falsehood  in  saying  that  it  was 
Mr.  Francis  Peck  (whereas  from  Mr.  Lorrain 's  account 


APPENDIX  B  199 

it  was  he  himself)  that  officiated  with  them  in  their  dying 
moments.  When  they  were  removed  out  of  the  sledge 
at  Tyburn  and  give  me  leave  seriously  to  ask  were  not 
you  in  the  sledge  with  them — I  call  upon  you — I 
challenge  you  to  answer  this.  They  desired  they  might 
have  a  priest  of  their  own  stamp  to  attend  them. 
Accordingly,  says  the  aforesaid  Mr.  Lorrain,  **Such  a 
minister  whoever  he  was,  or  wherever  he  came  from,  I 
know  not,  stepped  into  the  cart  and  prayed  by  them  a 
considerable  time  and  then  made  off."  That  one 
educated  a  few  years  before  both  at  Westminster  School 
and  at  Cambridge  should  be  such  a  son  of  obscurity 
that  amongst  thousands  of  spectators  Mr.  Lorrain  could 
learn  from  nobody  who  he  was,  or  whence  he  came  from, 
murders  all  credibility.  How  much  more  exactly  doth 
this  account  quadrate  with  the  character  of  Thomas 
Deacon,  Priest.  Accordingly  let  me  ask  you  did  not 
you  travel  in  the  sledge  with  Hall  and  Paul  through 
Holbourn  ?  Were  not  you  as  you  went  along  saluted 
with  the  hisses  and  insults  of  the  crowd,  and  did  you 
not  meet  with  a  very  different  reception  from  your  good 
friend,  brother,  and  fellow-labourer.  Dr.  Sacheverell,  as 
you  passed  by  him  in  Holbourn  ?  Did  he  not  greet  you 
with  a  very  reverend  bow  and  most  respectful  salutation  ? 
This  account  I  have  received.  Your  own  bare  word  is 
the  only  evidence  that  we  have  at  present  that  Dr.  Mead 
was  your  tutor  in  physical  science.  Some  persons  have 
a  p>eculiar  talent  of  being  extremely  intimate  with  their 
superiors  whom  they  never  saw,  of  being  their  very 
good  friends,  although  they  never  knew  them.  The 
truth  is  if  I  am  rightly  instructed,  somebody  interceded 
in  your  favour  with  Dr.  Mead,  represented  you  as  a 
person  that  entertained  some  odd  chimerical  notions 
that  would  obstruct  your  advancement  in  the  other 
liberal  professions,  and  therefore  inclined  to  devote 
yourself  to  physic.  Dr.  Mead's  great  humanity  was 
easily  prevailed  on  to  procure  you  admission  for  a  short 


200 


THOMAS    DEACON 


time  to  one  of  the  hospitals  to  attend  the  practice  there 
and  afterwards  to  give  you  some  slight  recommendation, 
which  I  am  told  was  the  case  in  fact.  The  recommen- 
datory letter  was  to  Manchester.  Either  in  17 19  or 
1720  it  is  certain  you  practised  physic  in  Manchester. 

The  1 8th  of  May  last  I  spent  an  evening  at  Daventry 
in  Northamptonshire  with  an  Officer  of  the  King^s 
Army  who  had  frequently  visited  one  of  your  sons  taken 
prisoner  at  Carlisle,  and  who  afterwards  dy'd  at  Kendal. 
In  the  course  of  conversation  the  officer  declared  that 
your  son  had  often  told  him  and  many  others  who  had 
visited  him  in  his  illness  that  it  was  absolutely  against 
his  inclination  that  he  went  into  the  Rebellion,  but  that 
he  had  just  reason  to  be  apprehensive  that  you,  You 
Sir,  his  father  would  have  turned  him  out  of  doors  if 
he  had  refused ;  that  he  would  never  have  engaged  in  it 
upon  any  other  consideration. 


201 


APPENDIX   C. 

A  Brief  Synopsis  of  Letters  Written  by  Deacon  and 
Quoted  in  this  Work. 

It  may  be  noted  that  all  the  letters  are  written  from 
Manchester. 

1.  To  John  Byrom  in   London,  6th  December,   1726. 

See  page  71. 

2.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,   21st  December,   1726. 

See  page  72. 

Both  these  letters  are  concerned  with  the  dispute 
between  Bishop  Peploe  and  the  Chapter  of  the  Colle- 
giate Church  of  Manchester  with  regard  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  Rev.  Richard  Assheton  as  Chaplain. 

3.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,  24th  June,  1727.    See 

page  84. 

In  this  letter  Deacon  announces  his  intention  of 
removing  from  Manchester  to  take  up  the  practice  of 
the  late  Dr.  Cole  at  Stepney. 

4.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,  February  21st,  I7|J.      See 

page  166. 

5.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,  April  21st,  1731.      See 

page  168. 

6.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,  April  27th,  1731.     See 

page  169. 

I  have  said  elsewhere  that  Deacon  is  seen  at  his  very 
best  in  these  three  letters,  and  the  standard  attained  is 
certainly  high.  All  the  letters  are  concerned  with  the 
projected  publication  of  the  Translation  of  Tillemont's 
"History  of  the  first  six  centuries.** 


202 


THOMAS    DEACON 


7.  To  John  Byrom  in  London,  24th  May,   1737.     See 

page  67. 

This  is  concerned  with  the  publication  of  Byrom's 
system  of  Shorthand.  The  humour  associated  with 
Byrom's  title  of  'Grand  Master'  is  well  sustained. 

8.  A  letter  to  Dr.  Deacon's  Presbyters  in  London,  20th 

July,  1744.     See  page  loi. 

This  was  written  on  the  occasion  of  Deacon  assuming 
the  oversight  of  the  'Orthodox  Church'  in  London, 
formerly  under  the  care  of  Archibald  Campbell. 

9.  A  letter  to  Mr.   Pierce  on  his  desertion  from   Dr. 

Deacon's   communion,    April    27th,    1750.      See 
page  139. 

This  is  interesting  as  the  last  known  writing  of 
Deacon  and  as  indicating  that  the  uncompromising 
attitude  to  the  'Revolution'  Church  of  England  adopted 
in  the  speeches  of  Hall  and  Paul  in  17 16  was  maintained 
by  Deacon  to  the  end. 


Index 


a>5 


INDEX. 

Abjuration  Oath,  12n. 
Apostolic  Constitutions,  37. 

Deacon's  estimate  of,  38. 

Griffin's  estimate  of,  37. 

Dr.  Hook's  estimate  of,  38. 

account  of,  in  New  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  39. 

re-introduction  to  Western  Christendom,  39. 

Arian  doctrine  contained  in,  39. 

and  Lay  Baptism,  39. 

A&sheton,  Rev.  Richard,  Chaplain  of  Collegiate  Church,  Manchester,  70, 
171. 

dispute  concerning  the  appointment  of,  71,  72,  73. 

Assheton,  Rev.  Robt.,  Fellow  of  Collegiate  Church,  63,  70,  171. 
Assheton,  Sir  Ralph,  of  Middleton,  171. 

Assheton,  Rev.  Wm.,  B.D.,  Rector  of  Prestwich,  87. 

Bedford,  Hilkiah,  Non-juring  Bishop,  89,  92. 

Bell,  Rev.  Wm.,  of  Linton,  nr.  Edinburgh,  101,  137. 

presents  Deacon  MSS.  to  Chetham  Library,  101. 

Beswick,  John,  Lieutenant  in  Manchester  Regiment,  109,  110,  118. 

Blackburne,  John,  Non-juring  Bishop,  32,  89,  91,  94. 

Bland,  Sir  John,  M.P.  for  County  of  Lancaster,  72. 

Bolton,  Rev.  Roger,  Fellow  of  Collegiate  Church,  63,  70. 

Bowdler,  Thos.,  of  the  Admiralty,  42,  171. 

Bowdler  family,  42. 

Bowdler's  edition  of  Shakespeare,  42. 

Brett,  Thos.,  LL.D.,  Non-juring  Bishop,  11,  26,  31,  33,  44,  47. 

received  intO'  the  Non-juring  Communion,   12. 

further  change  of  opinions,  12,  92,  93. 

letters  to  Thomas  Deacon  concerning  re- union  of  Non- jurors,  90. 

signs  declaration  of  re-union,  95. 

Brett,  Thos.,  the  younger.  Non-juring  Bishop,  89,  95. 
British  Magazine,  95. 
Byrom,  Edward,  185. 
the  younger,  85,  129. 


206 


INDEX 


Byrom,  Elizabeth,  105. 

and  Charles  Edward,  108. 

her  interesting  jounnal,  105-114. 

Byrom  family,  57. 
Byrom,  John,  57. 

birth,  57. 

education,  57. 

travels  on  the  Continent,  58. 

political  convictions,  58. 

visits  the  Pretender,  58. 

and  the  Roman  Church,  59. 

"Christians  Awake,"  59. 

marriage,  59. 

system  of  Shorthand,  59,  65,  66. 

friendship  with  Deacon,  59. 

and  Deacon's  consecration,  98. 

and  the  "'45,"  105-11. 

efforts  on  behalf  of  C.  C.  Deacon,  121,  124. 

Latin  verses  to  Lord  Harrington,  123. 

"Epistle  to  a  Friend,"  126. 

attack  on  Owen  of  Rochdale,  127. 

described  by  Owen  as  "  Master  Tool,"  127. 

-  "  Sir  L.  Bred  Owen,"  132. 

Last  efEort  on  behalf  of  Deacon,  141. 

Byrom's  "Private  Journal  and  Literary  Remains,"  discovery  and  pub- 
lication of,  59,  60. 


Campbell,  Archibald,  Non-juring  Bishop,  7,  8,  14,  31,  39w,  89. 

referred  to  in  Lockhart  papers,  9. 

consecrates  Deacon  as  Bishop,  97. 

"  Middle  State,"  161. 

Cartwright,  Wm.,  Non-juring  Bishop,  151,  153,  155. 

marries  Thos.  Deacon's  daughter,  155. 

Cattell,  Rev.  Thos.,  Fellow  of  Collegiate  Church,  63,  68,  71,  129,  185. 

extraordinary  discovery  said  to  have  been  made  in  his  papers,  129. 

Chadwick,  Thos.,  Lieutenant  in  Manchester  Regiment,  109n,  118. 
Chester  Courant,  The,  organ  of  the  Tory  Party,  98,  126,  127,  187,  189, 

192,  194,  195. 
Chetham  Hospital  of  Manchester,  54. 
Library,  25,  43,  74. 

gatherings  at,  74. 

Clarke,  Rev.  John,  one  of  Deacon's  presbyters,  49,  139. 


INDEX  207 

Clayton,  Rev.  John,  68,  74,  75,  77,  79. 

his  intimate  association  with  Deacon,  75,  76, 

with  the  Wesleys,  75,  173, 

welcomes  the  Pretender,  106. 

presented  to  the  Pretender,  108. 

last  service  to  Deacon,  141. 

• MS.  catalogue  of  his  library,  xvii,  96,  185. 

Clowes,  Joseph,  66,68,  85,  106. 

Collier,  Mrs.  Cecilia,  15,  171.     See  also  Deacon,  Cecilia. 

Collier,  Jeremy,  14.  31,  34,  44,  89,  94. 

consecrated  Bishop,  7. 

is  outlawed,  10. 

ordains  Deacon,  17. 

authorizes  Non-jurors  Prayer  Book,  47. 

• "  Short  View  of  the  Immorality  and  Profaneness  of  the  English 

Stage,"  11. 
Copley,  Rev.  John,  Fellow  of  Collegiate  Church,  70,  72,  165. 

bitter  hostility  to  Samuel  Peploe,  70. 

Cross,  Sign  of  the,  restored  in  Confirmation,  46. 

Dawes,  Sir  Wm.,  Archbishop  of  York,  54. 
Dawson,  "Jemmy,"  109. 
execution,  118. 

described  in  Shenstone's  poem,  118,  119. 

Deacon,  Mrs.  Cecilia,  13,  14. 

second  marriage,  15, 

Deacon,  Charles  Clement,  26,  109,  120. 

• efforts  made  for  reprieve  of,  121-124. 

transported  for  life,  123. 

Deacon,  Edward  Erastus,  M.D.,  152. 
Deacon,  J.,  "Non- juror,"  16w. 
Deacon,  Robt.  Renatus,  78,  79,  109. 

death  of,  115. 

Deacon,  Mrs,  Sarah,  61,  78,  85. 

death  of,  79. 

Deacon,  Thomas,  birth,  13. 
Baptism,  14. 

education,  16. 

ordination,  17. 

' connection  with  the  '"15,"  19, 

composes  Hall  and  Paul's  speeches,  19. 

travels  to  Holland,  21. 

■ enters  upon  study  of  Medicine,  21. 


ao8 


INDEX 


Deacon,  Thomas,  takes  part  in  "Usages"  controversy,  29-35 

"Letter"  to  Bishop  Spinckes,  34. 

removal  to  Manchester,  49,  61. 

marriage,  61, 

house  in  Manchester,  62,  114. 

friendship  with  Manchester  Clergy,  63. 

with  John  Byrom,  62. 

and  the  English  Church,  64,  93,  140,  178,  184,  202. 

connection  with  John  Byrom's  shorthand  system,  65,  66,  67,  168. 

and  the  dispute  with  Bishop  Peploe,  71. 

and  the  Chetham  Library,  74. 

his  children,  78,  151. 

and  the  Wesleys,  75,  76,  173,  176. 

medical  career,  81. 

position  as  unlicensed  practitioner,  81. 

and  inoculation,  82. 

takes  practice  at  Stepney,  85. 

returns  to  Manchester,  85. 

subsequent  success  in  medical  practice,  86. 

refuses  to  join  Dr.  Brett  in  scheme  for  re-union  with  "our  old 

friends,"  93. 

is  consecrated  Bishop,  97. 

his  congregation  in  Manchester,  99,  100. 

in  London,  101. 

episcopal  letter  to  congregation  in  London,  101. 

is  presented  to  the  Pretender,  108. 

connection  with  the  "'45,"  111,  113. 

compelled  to  leave  Manchester,  113. 

letter  to,  on  the  death  of  his  son,  120. 

vindications  of  himself,  126,  132,  192,  195 

letter  to  Mr.  Pierce  on  his  desertion,  139. 

death  and  burial,  141. 

epitaph,  142. 

estimate  of  his  character,  143-149. 

portrait  at  Chetham  Hospital,  143  and  frontispiece. 

published  works  : — 

"Doctrine  of  Purgatory,"  29,  159, 

"  Translation  of  Tillemont's  '  History  of  the  Arians,' "  35,  163. 

"  New  Communion  Office,"  41,  162. 

"  Private  Devotions,"  162. 

"  Remarks  on  Rev.  S.  Downes'  '  Historical  Account,'  &c.,"  166. 

"Translation  of  Tillemont's  'First  Six  Centuries,'"  166.  171. 


INDEX  209 

Deacon,  Thomas,  published  works  : — 

"  Compleat  Devotions,"  100,  172-177. 

" "  authorized  copy  of,  100. 

"Form  of  Admitting  a  Convert,"  &c.,  26,  177. 

"  Comprehensive  View,"  179. 

"  Apologetical  Epistle,"  131,  182. 

Unknown  works,  185. 
Deacon's  brother,  85,  120. 
Deacon,  Thos.  Theodorus,  61,  78,  79,  109. 

joins  "  Manchester  Regiment,"   106. 

dying  speech,  116. 

last  letter  to  his  father,  119. 

execution,  121. 

head  exposed  on  Manchester  exchange,  124, 

Deacon,  Capt.  William,  13,  14,  15. 

Deacon  MSS.  in  Chetham  Library,  25,  90,  94. 
Dog  and  Partridge  Inn,  Manchester,  &2n. 
Doughty,  Henry,  Non-juring  Bishop,  89. 

Earbery,  Matthias,  35. 

—  dialogue  between  Timothy  and  Thomas,  35. 

Eastern  liturgies,  37,  45,  47. 

Edward  VI,  first  liturgy  of.     See  Liturgies. 

"Epistle  to  A  Friend,"  by  John  Byrom,  126. 

Epitaph  of  Thos.  Deacon,  at  S.  Ann's,  Manchester,  143. 

of  Kenrick  Price,  154. 

of  Wm.  Cartwright,  156. 

of  Thos.  Podmore,  158. 

Eucharistic  doctrine  held  by  Non-jurors,  44n. 
Evelyn's  diary,  compared  with  John  Byrom's,  60. 

Fletcher,  George,  Captain  in  Manchester  Regiment,  106,  109,  118. 
Forbes,  Bishop  Robert,  96,  137n,  155n. 
Fowden,  William,  Constable  of  Manchester,  107. 

compelled  to  read  proclamation  of  James  III,  107. 

Friend,  Sir  John,  execution  of,  10. 

Gadderar,  James,  Non-juring  Bishop,  7,  9,  14,  31. 
Gandy,  Henry,  Non-juring  Bishop,  17,  31,  32,  73,  89,  95. 
Gastrell,  Francis,  Bishop  of  Chester,  54. 

refuses  to  confirm  appointment  of  Samuel  Peploe,  69. 

Gordon,  Robt.,  Non-juring  Bishop,  42,  137,  140 

his  worship  in  London,  96. 


210 


INDEX 


Greenhill,  William,  Founder  of  Stepney  "  Meeting,"  22n. 
Griffin,  John,  Non-juring  Bishop,  37,  89,  92. 

publishes  "The  Common  Christian  Instructed,"  37. 

Hall,  John,  of  Otterboume,  18. 

dying  speech,  20. 

Hall,  Rev.  P.,  of  Bath,  xvi,  40. 

"  Fragmenta  Liturgica,"  41,  49. 

Harbin,  George,  73. 

Harrington,  Lord,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  122,  123. 

Hartley,  Dr.  David,  and  Byrom's  shorthand,  67,  68.  ' 

Hawes,  Samuel,  Non-juring  Bishop,  7,  11,  31,  32,  89. 

Heame,  Thomas,  5,  70. 

Heyrick,  Richd.,  Warden  of  Manchester,  53. 

Hibbert-Ware,  Dr.,  explanation  of  Jacobite  revival  in  Manchester,  56. 

estimate  of  Deacon's  character,  146. 

Hickes,  George,  Non-juring  Bishop,  3. 

proceeds  to  France  to  obtain  royal  consent  from  James  II,  3,  4 

consecrated  Bishop,  4. 

publishes  his  "  Thesaurus,"  6. 

consecrates  three  non-juring  bishops,  7. 

last  will  and  testament,  14. 

connection  with  the  Deacons,  16. 

and  first  liturgy  of  King  Edward  VI,  28. 

death,  29, 

Hooper,  George,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  6. 
Hook,  Dr.,  and  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  38. 

Instrument  of  Union  between  non-jurors,  95. 

denounced  by  Roger  Laurence,  95. 


Jacobite  forces,  arrival  in  Manchester,  105. 

departure  from  Manchester,  108. 

return  on  retreat  to  Carlisle,  113. 

Jacobites,  trial  of,  at  Southwark,  1746,  115n. 
James  II  and  non-juring  consecrations,  3,  4. 
James  III  proclaimed  in  Manchester,  107. 

praised  by  Wm.  Law,  58. 

Jansenists  and  Non- jurors,  similarity  between, 

Jebb,  Samuel,  26,  82,  83. 

Johnson,  Dr.,  and  non- jurors,  vii,  7,  8,  11,  35, 

account  of  Archibald  Campbell,  8. 


163. 


INDEX  211 

Jurin,  Dr.  James,  82. 

Ken,  Thos.,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  viii,  1,  2,  4,  12n. 

desires  the  healing  of  the  non-juring  schism,  7. 

Kerslake,  Tho».,  of  Bristol,  25,  26,  27n. 

presents  Deacon  MSS.  to  Chetham  Library,  25. 

Lambeth  degrees,  dispute  concerning,  69. 
Laurence,  Roger,  Non-juring  Bishop,  17,  39,  47,  97. 

denounces  "instrument  of  union,"  95. 

is  consecrated  Bishop,  97. 

death,  98. 

Law,  William,  viii,  15. 

praises  the  Old  Pretender,  58. 

relieves  Deacon  in  last  necessity,  141. 

"  Serious  Call,"  176. 

Leslie,  Rev.  Charles,  35,  46. 

and  "Usages  Controversy,"  36. 

Lever,  Sir  Darcy,  LL.D.,  68,  87. 

Lady  Dorothy,  87,  88. 

befriends  Deacon  in  the  troubles  of  the  '45,  113,  114. 

Lindsay,  Rev.  John,  of  Trinity  Chapel,  Aldersgate  St.,  30. 
Linfield,  Rev.  James,  one  of  Deacon's  Presbyters,  49,  137. 
Liturgies. 

First  liturgy  of  King  Edward  VI,  27. 

compared  with  the  present  liturgy,  27,  28. 

and  the  Usages,  29. 

Clementine  liturgy,  37,  44,  45,  173-175. 

unscriptural  references  in,  175n. 

new  communion  office  of  1718,  37,  41. 

brief  description  of,  43,  45,  46. 

permanent  result,  46. 

William  Whiston's,  40. 

Edward  Stephen's  (1696),  41. 

of  Scottish  Episcopal  Church,  46,  175,  181. 

of  American  Episcopal  Church,  46. 

Lyon,  Rev.  David,  of  S.  Andrews,  137. 
Rev.  Robt.,  M.A.,  of  Perth,  137n. 

Macaulay,  Lord,  and  non-jurors,  vii,  10,  158. 

Maddox,  Samuel,  ensign  of  Manchester  Regiment,  110,  Ilia. 

turns  King's  evidence  at  trial  of  the  Jacobites,  123n. 

Mainwaring,  Dr.  P.,  86. 


212 


INDEX 


Manchester,  description  of,  in  1720,  51. 

Collegiate  Church,  52,  53. 

cotton  trade,  52. 

S.  Ainn's  Church,  53,  79,  125,  142. 

Chetham  Hospital  and  Library,  54. 

Jacobitism  in,  55,  57. 

great  influence  of  Collegiate  Church,  56. 

S.  John's  Church,  85. 

taken  by  Jacobite  forces,  105. 

Charles  Edward  in,  106. 

James  III  proclaimed  in,  107. 

regiment  raised  in,  for  Charlee  Edward,  108. 

surrender  at  Carlisle,  115. 

violent  political  excitement  in,  124. 

Clergy  and  the  Pope,  128. 

alleged  treasonable  correspondence,  130. 

"  Manchester  Vindicated,"  134. 

Manchester  Magazine,  The,  126,  127,  187,  191. 

Mayor,  Professor  J.  E.  B.,  and  non-jurors,  vii. 

Mead,  Matthew,  22. 

Mead,  Dr.  Richard,  22,  81,  83. 

Middleton,  Dr.  Conyers,  182. 


Newcome,  Rev.  Henry,  of  Manchester,  53,  57. 

New  Communion  Office  of  1718.     ^ee  Liturgies. 

Nicholls,  Rev.  Bejn.,  M.A.,  Curate  of  S.  Ann's,  Manchester,   125. 

Sermon  on  the  Rebellion  of  the  "'45,"  125. 

Non-abjurors,  12n. 

Non-jurors,  list  of  original,  1. 

and  new  succession,  2. 

and  new  consecrations,  4. 

authorize  an  Official  Prayer  Book,  47. 

and  Clerical  titles,  165. 

reunion  of  opposing  sections  of,  89-94. 

Non-usagers,  12n. 

defence  against  their  opponents,  32. 


Occasional  Conformity  Act,  7. 

Overton,  Rev.  Canon,  "History  of  Non-Jurors,"  1,  43,  94. 

Orme,  Rev.  Robert,  30. 

Owen,  Josiah,  of  Rochdale,  19,  111,  112. 

Charges  against  Deacon,  112,  126,  192,  193,  194,  198,  199. 


INDEX  213 

Owen,  Josiali, "  Sermon  on  the  late  Kebellion,"  125. 

"Jacobite  and  Non-juring  principles  freely  examined,"  127. 

charges  against  the  Clergy  of  Manchester,  128. 

"Dr.  Deacon  Try'd  by  his  own  Tribunal,"  132,  198. 

Parkinson,  Rev.  R.,  Canon  of  Manchester,  59,  60. 
Parkyns,  Sir  W.,  execution  of,  10. 
Paul,  Rev.  Wm.,  18. 

dying  speech,  20. 

execution  of,  20. 

Peck,  Rev.  Francis,  M.A.,  of  Trinity  Coll.,  Cambridge,  19,  195. 
Peploe,  Samuel,  Warden  of  Manchester  and  Bishop  of  Chester,  opposes 
the  rebels  of  the  "  15,"  69. 

appointed  Warden  of  Manchester,  54. 

dispute  concerning  the  appointment,  54,  69. 

appointed  Bishop  of  Chester,  70. 

estimate  of  character  of,  74. 

and  Deacon,  148. 

Pepys,  Samuel,  and  Non-jurors,  11,  42. 

Perceval,  A.  P.,  "Doctrine  of  the  Apostolical  Succession,"  97. 

Perceval,  Thos.,  of  Royton,  129. 

— —  "Letter  to  the  Clergy  of  Manchester,"  132, 

"  Manchester  Politics,"  133,  180. 

Pierce,  Mr.,  letter  to  Deacon  on  deserting  his  commxmion,  138. 
Podmore,  Thomas,  the  learned  barber,  156. 

"Layman's  Apology  for  Primitive  Christianity,"  156. 

ordination,  157. 

copy  of  letter  of  orders,  157. 

removes  to  Shrewsbury,  157. 

death,   158. 

epitaph  in  Millington's  Hospital,  158. 

Pretender,  Charles  Edward,  in  Manchester,  106. 
Price,  Kenrick,  Non-juring  Bishop,  153. 

consecration,  141, 

consecrates  Wm,  Cartwright  at  Shrewsbury,  154. 

epitaph  in  unknown  church,  154, 

Rawlinson,  Richd.,  LL.D.,  Non-juring  Bishop,  89,  95,  165,  171. 

is  consecrated  Bishop,  89. 

Rawlinson  MSS.,  17,  30,  89,  97. 
Ray,  James,  of  Whitehaven,  99,  l09. 

account  of  Deacon's  congregation,  99. 

Richmond,  Duke  of,  122,  123. 
Robinson,  Dr.  Bryan,  83 


214 


INDEX 


Sacheverell,  Dr.,  19. 

Sacred  Trinity  Church,  Salfor3,  75  and  note. 

Sancroft,  William,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  1,  2. 

delegates  his  authority  to  Bishop  Lloyd,  2. 

Scottish  Episcopal  Church,  10. 

Scottish  Bishops  and  Englifih  consecrations,  10. 

Sion  College  Library,  xiv,  14,  47. 

Smith,  George,  Non-juring  Bishop,  89,  90,  91,  92,  95. 

edits   "  Ecclesiastical  History   of  Bede,"   92n. 

Spinckes,  Nathaniel,  Non-juring  Bishop,  7,  11,  31,  89. 

attacks  Deacon's  views  on  tradition,  34. 

Stanhope,  Charles,  122. 

Stebunheath,  13. 

Stepney  "  Meeting,"  22  and  note. 

Stratford,  Nicholas,  Warden  of  Manchester  and  Bishop  of  Chester,  53, 

54. 
Syddall,  Thos.,  110,  111. 
appointed  Adjutant  of  Manchester  Regiment,  106. 

dying  speech,  117, 

his  head  fixed  on  Manchester  exchange,  124 

Syddall,  Mrs.,  her  house  destroyed  by  the  military,  188. 

Tillemont,  Sebastion  le  Nain,  163,  164,  170. 

Deacon's  admiration  of,  163. 

Du  Pin's  account  of,  163. 

Thyer,  Robt.,  Librarian  at  Chetham  College,  74,  76,  77,  134. 
Townley,  Francis,  Colonel  of  Manchester  Regiment,  108. 

appeal  to,  by  John  Byrom  on  subject  of  profane  swearing,  109. 

Trinity  Chapel,  Aldersgate  St.,  30. 

Turner,  Francis,  Bishop  of  Ely,  1,  2,  4,  73. 

Unction,  restored  by  Non- jurors,  46. 
Usagers,  12n. 

superior  scholarship  of,  36. 

Usages  controversy,  definition  of,  27. 
Deacon's  account  of,  29-33. 

formal  schism  accomplished,  33. 

brief  account  of  pamphlets  concerning,  34. 

pointed  comments  on,  by  Rev.  Chas.  Leslie,  35. 

Wagstaffe,  Thos.,  the  elder.  Non-juring  Bishop,  4. 

is  consecrated  Bishop,  4. 

practises  medicine  without  license,  5. 

death,  5. 


INDEX  215 


Wagstaffe,  Thos.,  the  younger,  47,  91,  92. 
keeper  of  Church  records  of  Non-jurors,  48. 

Chaplain  to  James  III  and  Charles  III  in  Rome,  91 

— —  and  the  Vatican  Library,  92. 

his  popularity  in  Rome,  92. 

Wesley,  Rev.  Charles,  68. 
Wesley,  Rev.  John,  75,  76,  173. 
peculiar  shorthand,  697i. 

possible  connection  with  Deacon,  76. 

Whalley,  Thos.,  Constable  of  Manchester,  107 
Whiston,  William,  40. 

derives  Arian  views  from  Apostolic  constitutions,  40 

deprived  of  Lucasian  professorship,  40. 

lectures  on  scientific  subjects,  40. 

and  the  "  Vicai-  of  Wakefield,"  40. 

composes  a  liturgy,  40,  44. 

and  Deacon,  169. 

White,  Thomas,  Bishop  of  Peterborough,  1,  2,  4. 
Wroe,  Rev.  Richard,  Warden  of  Manchester,  54. 


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EDUCATIONAL  SERIES. 

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Students  of  the  Educational  Department  of  the  University  of 
Manchester.  Chapters  on  Continuation  Schools  in  the  German 
Empire.  Switzerland,  Denmark,  and  France,  have  been  contributed 
by  other  writers. 


6 


34.  Cross  Street,  Manchester 


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EDUCATIONAL     SERIES. 

CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS  (Continued). 

" gives  a  record  of  what  the  principal  nations  are  doing  in  the 

prolongation  of  school  work.  It  is  invaluable  as  a  corpus  of  material 
from  which  to  estimate  the  present  position  of  the  world — so  far  as  its 
analogies  touch  Britain — in  '  further  education,'  as  the  phrase  is." 

—The    Outlook. 

"  The  most  comprehensive  book  on  continuation  schools  that  has  yet 
been  issued  in  this  country." — Scottish  Review. 

"  This  book  will  for  many  years  remain  the  standard  authority  upon 
its  subject." — 7' he   Guardian. 

"  The  whole  question  is  discussed  with  an  elaboration,  an  insistence  on 
detail,  and  a  wisdom  that  mark  this  volume  as  the  most  important 
contribution  to  educational  effort  that  has  yet  been  made." 

— Conteni'porary  Review. 

"The  subject  of  the  work  is  one  that  goes  to  the  very  heart  of 
national  education,  and  the  treatise  itself  lays  bare  with  a  scientific  but 
humane  hand  the  evils  that  beset  our  educational  system,  the  waste  of 
life  and  national  energy  which  that  system  has  been  unable  in  any 
sufficient  degree  to  check." — The  Spectator. 

"  It  is  a  treasure  of  facts  and  judicious  opinions  in  the  domain  of  the 
history  and  administration  of  education." — The  Athenceum. 

No.  II.  THE  DEMONSTRATION  SCHOOLS  RECORD.  No.  I. 
Being  Contributions  to  the  Study  of  Education  from  the  Department 
of  Education  in  the  University  of  Manchester.  By  J.  J.  Findlay, 
M.A.,  Ph.D.,  Sarah  Fielden  Professor  of  Education.  Demy  8vo, 
pp.  viii.  126.     Is.  6d.  net.  (Publication  No.  32,  1908.) 

"  Professor  Findlay  and  his  skilled  and  experienced  collaborators  give 
an  interesting  account  of  the  uses  of  the  demonstration  classes,  the 
nature  and  scope  of  the  work  done  in  them,  and  the  methods  adopted 
(as  well  as  the  underlying  principles)  in  some  of  the  courses  of  instruc- 
tion."— The  Athenceum. 

"  The  book  gives  an  instructive  account  of  the  attempts  made  to 
correlate  the  subjects  of  school  instruction,  not  only  with  each  other,  but 
also  with  the  children's  pursuits  out  of  school  hours.  .  .  .  The  problem 
Professor  Findlay  has  set  himself  to  work  out  in  the  Demonstration 
School  is,  How  far  is  it  possible  by  working  with  the  children  through 
successive  culture  epochs  of  the  human  race  to  form  within  their  minds 
not  only  a  truer  conception  of  human  history,  but  also  eventually  a 
deeper  comprehension  of  the  underlying  purpose  and  oneness  of  all 
human  activities?" — Morning  Post. 

83,  Soho  Square,  London,  W.  7 


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MANCHESTER    UNIVERSITY   PUBLICATIONS. 

EDUCATIONAL    SERIES. 

No.  III.  THE  TEACHING  OF  HISTORY  IN  GIRLS'  SCHOOLS 
IN  NORTH  AND  CENTRAL  GERMANY.  A  Report  by  Eva 
Dodge,  M.A.,  Gilchrist  Student.    Demy  8vo,  pp.  x.  149.     Is.  6d.  net. 

(Publication  No.  34,  1908.) 

"  We  cordially  recommend  this  most  workmanlike,  and  extremely 
valuable  addition  to  pedagagogic  literature."  — Education. 

"  Gives  a  clear  and  detailed  account  of  two  well-organised  schemes 
of  historical  teaching  in  Germany."  — School  World. 

No.  IV.  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  IN  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  MANCHESTER,  1890-1911.  Demy  Svo, 
14d  pp.     Is.  6d.  net,  paper ;  2s.  6d.  net,  cloth. 

(Publication  No.  58,  1911.) 
This  book,  published  in  commemoration  of  the  twenty-first  anniversary 
of  the  education  department,  includes  an  article  nearly  50  pages  long  by 
Prof  Sadler  on  University  Training  Colleges,  their  origin,  growth  and 
influence,  a  history  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Goode  of  the  department  of  education 
in  the  University,  a  register  of  past  and  present  students  and  a  record 
of  the  publications  issued  from  the  department.  It  is  illustrated  by 
photographs  of  the  University  and  some  of  the  leading  persons  connected 
with  the  education  department. 

ENGLISH    SERIES. 

No.  L  THE  LITERARY  PROFESSION  IN  THE  ELIZABETHAN 
AGE.  By  Ph,  Sheavyn,  M.A.,  D.Lit.,  Special  Lecturer  in  English 
Literature  and  Tutor  for  Women  Students  ;  Warden  of  the  Hall  of 
Residence  for  Women  Students. 

A  series  of  brief  studies  dealing  with  the  conditions  amidst  which  the 
profession  of  literature  was  pursued  under  Elizabeth  and  James  I.  It 
treats  of  their  relations  with  patrons,  publishers,  and  reading  public,  and 
with  various  authorities  exercising  legal  control  over  the  press ;  and 
discusses  the  possibility  of  earning  a  sufficient  livelihood,  in  this  period, 
by  the  proceeds  of  literary  work.     Demy  Svo,  pp.  xii,  221.     5s.  net. 

(Publication  No.  49,  1909.) 

" .  .  .  .  scholarly  and  illuminating  book.  It  opens  a  new  series  in 
the  Manchester  University  publications,  and  opens  it  with  distinction. 
A  more  elaborately  documented  or  more  carefully  indexed  work  need 
not  be  desired.  The  subject  is  an  engrossing  one ;  and,  although  the 
author  has  aimed  rather  at  accuracy  and  completeness  than  at  the  arts  of 
entertainment,  the  result  remains   eminently  readable." — 

— Manchester  Guardian. 

"  Quite  interesting  to  the  general  literary  reader  as  well  as  to  the 
special  student  for  whom,  perhaps,  it  is  directly  meant.  We  are  always 
ready  to  read  of  the  Elizabethan  age  in  authorship,  and  it  loses  none 
of  its  attractions  in  Miss  Sheavyn's  hands." — Daily  Chronicle. 


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MANCHESTER   UNIVERSITY  PUBLICATIONS* 
ENGLISH    SERIES. 

No.  II.  BEOWULF  :  Edited,  with  Introduction,  Notes,  and  Glossary,  by 
W.  J.  Sedgefield,  Litt.D,,  Lecturer  in  English  Language. 
Demy  8vo,  pp.  xii.  300.     9s.  net.  (Publication  No.  55,  1910.) 

"  It  is  his  carefulness  in  this  matter  of  the  text  that  will  win  Mr. 
Sedgefield  the  chief  thanks  of  students.  This  record  of  variants  is  full 
and  accurate,  and  the  fuller  notes  which  follow  the  text  itself  should 
be  very  helpful  both  to  the  pupil  and  the  expert.  In  the  glossarial 
index  Mr.  Sedgefield  has  accomplished  a  task  hitherto  unattempted 
in  England." — Manchester  Guardian. 

HISTORICAL  SERIES. 

No.  I.  MEDIEVAL  MANCHESTER  AND  THE  BEGINNINGS 
OF  LANCASHIRE.  By  James  Tait,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Ancient 
and  Mediaeval  History.     Demy  8vo,  pp.  x.  211.     7s.  6d.  net. 

(Publication   No.   3,    1904.) 

"Patient  and  enlightened  scholarship  and  a  sense  of  style  and  pro- 
portion have  enabled  the  writer  to  produce  a  work  at  once  solid  and 
readable." — English  Historical  Review, 

"  A  welcome  addition  to  the  literature  of  English  local  history,  not 
merely  because  it  adds  much  to  our  knowledge  of  Manchester  and 
Lancashire,  but  also  because  it  displays  a  scientific  method  of  treatment 
which  is  rare  in  this  field  of  study  in  England." — Dr.  Gross  in  American 
Historical  Review. 

"  La  collection  ne  pouvait  debuter  plus  significativement  et  plus  heure- 
usement  que  par  un  ouvrage  d'histoire  du  Moyen  Age  du  a  M.  Tait,  car 
I'enseignement  medieviste  est  un  de  ceux  qui  font  le  plus  d'honneur  a 
la  jeune  Universite  de  Manchester,  et  c'est  k  M.  le  Professeur  Tait  qu'il 
faut  attribuer  une  bonne  part  de  ce  succes." — Revue  de  Synthese 
historique. 

No.  11.  INITIA  OPERUM  LATINORUM  QUAE  SAECULIS  XIII., 
XIV.,  XV.  ATTRIBUUNTUR.  By  A.  G.  Little,  M.A.,  Lecturer 
in  Palaeography.    Demy  8vo,  pp.  xiii.  273  (interleaved).    (Out  of  print.) 

(Publication  No.  5,  1904.) 

"  Whoever  has  attempted  to  ascertain  the  contents  of  a  Mediaeval 
miscellany  in  manuscript  must  often  have  been  annoyed  by  the  occurrence 
of  a  blank  space  where  the  title  of  the  treatise  ought  to  be.  Mr.  Little 
has  therefore  earned  the  gratitude  of  all  such  persons  by  making  public 
a  collection  of  some  6,000  incipits,  which  he  arranged  in  the  first  instance 
for  his  private  use,  in  compiling  a  catalogue  of  Franciscan  MSS." 

— English  Historical  Review. 

33,  Soho  Square,  London,  W.  ^ 


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MANCHESTER  UNIVERSITY  PUBLICATIONS. 
HISTORICAL  SERIES. 

No.  III.  THE  OLD  COLONIAL  SYSTEM.  By  Gerald  Berkeley 
Hertz,  M.A.,  B.C.L.,  Lecturer  in  Constitutional  Law.  Demy  8vo, 
pp.  xi.  232.     58.  net.  (Publication  No.  7,  1905.) 

"  Mr.  Hertz  gives  us  an  elaborate  historical  study  of  the  old  colonial 

system,    which   disappeared    with   the   American   Revolution He 

shows  a  remarkable  knowledge  of  contemporary  literature,  and  his  book 
may  claim  to  be  a  true  history  of  popular  opinion." — Spectator. 

"  Mr.  Hertz's  book  is  one  which  no  student  of  imperial  developments 
can  neglect.     It  is  lucid,  fair,  thorough,  and  convincing." 

— Glasgow  Herald. 

"  Mr.  Hertz's  *  Old  Colonial  System '  is  based  on  a  careful  study  of 
contemporary  documents,  with  the  result  that  several  points  of  no  small 
importance  are  put  in  a  new  light  ....  it  is  careful,  honest  work  .... 
The  story  which  he  tells  has  its  lesson  for  us." — The  Times. 

"Both  the  ordinary  reader  and  the  academic  mind  will  get  benefit 
from  this  well-informed  and  well-written  book." — Scotsman. 

"Mr.  Hertz  has  made  excellent  use  of  contemporary  literature,  and 
has  given  us  a  very  valuable  and  thorough  critique.  The  book  is  in- 
teresting and  very  well  written." — American  Political  Science  Review. 

"An  interesting,  valuable,  and  very  necessary  exposition  of  the 
principles  underlying  the  colonial  policy  of  the  eighteenth  century." 

— Yorkshire  Post. 

No.  IV.  STUDIES  OF  ROMAN  IMPERIALISM.  By  W.  T. 
Arnold,  M.A.  Edited  by  Edward  Fiddes.  M.A.,  Lecturer  in 
Ancient  History,  with  Memoir  of  the  Author  by  Mrs.  Humphry 
Ward  and  C.  E.  Montague.  With  a  Photogravure  of  W.  T. 
Arnold.     Demy   8v6,   pp.    cxxiii.     281.     7s.    6d.    net. 

(Publication  No.  16,  1906.) 
"Mrs.   Humphry  Ward  has  used  all  her  delicate  and  subtle  art  to 
draw  a  picture  of  her  beloved  brother;  and  his  friend  Mr.  Montague's 
account  of  his  middle  life  is  also  remarkable  for  its  literary  excellence." 

— Athenomin. 

"  The  memoir  ....  tenderly  and  skilfully  written  by  the  *  sister 

and  friend,'  tells  a  story,  which  well  deserved  to  be  told,  of  a  life  rich 

in  aspirations,  interests,  and  friendships,  and  not  without  its  measure  of 

actual  achievement." — Tribune. 

"  This  geographical  sense  and  his  feeling  for  politics  give  colour  to  all 
he  wrote." — Times. 

"  Anyone  who  desires  a  general  account  of  the  Empire  under  Augustus 
which  is  freshly  and  clearly  written  and  based  on  wide  reading  will  find 
it  here." — Manchester  Guardian. 

"  Nothing  could  be  better  than  the  sympathetic  tribute  which  Mrs. 
Humphry  Ward  pays  to  her  brother,  or  the  analysis  of  his  work  and 
method  by  his  colleague  Mr.  Montague.  The  two  together  have  more 
stuff  in  them  than  many  big  books  of  recent  biography." 

—  Westminster  Gazette. 

The  Memoir  may  be  had  separately,  price  2s.  6d  net. 


10 


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MANCHESTER  UNIVERSITY  PUBLICATIONS. 
HISTORICAL    SERIES. 

No.  V.  CANON  PIETRO  CASOLA'S  PILGRIMAGE  TO 
JERUSALEM  IN  THE  YEAR  1494.  By  M.  M.  Nbwett, 
B.A.,  formerly  Jones  Fellow.     Demy  8vo,  pp.  viii.  427.     78.  6d.  net. 

(Publication  No.  26,  1907.) 
"Tra  mezzo  ai  tanti  libri  esteri  di  sempiici  divulgazione  su  fatti  e 
figure  della  storia  italiana,  questo  emerge  piacevalmente  e  si  legge 
volontieri.  E  diverse  di  carattere  e  di  trattazione.  Esume  ....  dalla 
polvere  degli  archivi  e  delle  biblioteche  qualche  cosa  che  ha  un  valore 
fresco  ed  interessante,  un  valore  storico  e  un  valore  umano." 

— A.A.E.  in  the  Archivio  Storico  Italiano. 

"  L'introduction  se  termine  par  toute  une  dissertation  du  plus  grand 
interet,  documentee  a  I'aide  des  archives  venitiennes,  sur  le  caractere 
commercial  des  pelerinages,  dont  les  armateurs  de  Venise  assumerent, 
jusqu  'au  XVIIe  siecle  I'entreprise." 

— J.B.  in  the  Revue  de  Synthe.se  historique. 

"Miss  Newett  has  performed  her  task  admirably,  preserving  much  of 
the  racy  humour  and  shrewd  phrasing  which  mark  the  original,  and 
adding,  in  the  introduction,  a  general  treatise  on  the  Venetian  pilgrim 
industry,  and  in  the  notes  copious  illustrations  of  the  text." 

Horatio  F.  Brown  in  The  English  Historical  Review. 

"  Miss  Newett's  introduction  is  an  admirable  bit  of  work.  She  has 
studied  carefully  what  the  archives  of  Venice  have  to  say  about  pilgrim 
ships  and  shipping  laws,  and  her  pages  are  a  mine  of  information  on 
such  subjects." — Dr.  Thomas  Lindsay  in  the  Scottish  Historical  Review 
"This  is  a  deeply  interesting  record,  not  merely  of  a  Syrian  pilgrim- 
age, but  of  Mediterranean  life  and  of  the  experiences  of  an  intelligent 
Italian  gentleman  at  the  close  of  the  Middle  Ages — two  years  after  the 
discovery  of  America.  It  would  not  be  easy  to  find  a  more  graphic 
picture,  in  old  days,  of  a  voyage  from  Venice  to  the  Levant." 

American  Historical  Review 

No.    VI.     HISTORICAL   ESSAYS.     Edited  by   T.    F.    Tout,    M.A., 

Professor  of  Mediaeval  and  Modern  History,  and  James  Tait,  M.A., 

Professor  of  Ancient  and  Mediaeval  History.     Demy  8vo,  pp.  xv.  557. 

68.  net.     Reissue  of  the  Edition  of  1902  with  index  and  New  Preface. 

(Publication  No.  27,  1907.) 
"Diese  zwanzig  chronologisch  geordneten  Aufsatze  heissen  in  der 
Vorrede der Herausgeber Festchrift,hehai,nde\nz\iT  Halfte  ausser-englische 
Themata,  benutzen  reichlich  festlandische  Literatur  und  verraten  iiberall 
neben  weiten  Ausblicken  eine  methodische  Schulung  die  der  dortigen 
Facultat  hohe  Ehre  macht." — Professor  Liebermann  in  Deutsche 
Literaturzeitung . 

"  Imperial  history,  local  history,  ecclesiastical  history,  economic  history 
and  the  methods  of  historical  teaching — all  these  are  in  one  way  or  another 
touched  upon  by  scholars  who  have  collaborated  in  this  volume.     Men 


83,  Soho  Square,  London,  W.  11 


SHERRATT  &  HUGHES 


MANCHESTER  UNIVERSITY  PUBLICATIONS. 
HISTORICAL  SERIES. 

HISTORICAL  ESSAYS  (Continued). 

and  women  alike  have  devoted  their  time  and  P^^ins  to  working  out 
problems  of  importance  and  often  of  no  slight  difficulty.  The  result  is 
one  of  which  the  university  and  city  may  be  justly  proud." — The  late 
Professor  York  Powell  in  the  Manchester  Guardian. 

"Esso  contiene  venti  lavori  storici  dettati,  quattro  da  professori  e  sedici 
da  licenziati  del  Collegio,  e  sono  tutto  scritti  appositamente  e  condotti 
secondo  le  piu  rigorose  norme  della  critica  e  su  documenti." — R.  Predelli 
in  Nuovo  Archivio  Veneto. 

"La  variete  des  sujets  et  I'^rudition  avec  laquelle  ils  sont  trait^s  font 
grand  honneur  a  la  maniere  dont  I'histoire  est  enseigne  k  Owens  College." 

— Revue   Historiqu^.. 

"  Par  nature,  c'est  un  recueil  savant,  qui  temoigne  du  respect  et  de 
r^mulation  que  sait  exercer  pour  les  etudes  historiques  la  jeune  et  deja 
c61ebre  universite." — Revue  d'histoire  eccUsiastique   (Louvain). 

"  All  these  essays  reach  a  high  level ;  they  avoid  the  besetting  sin  of 
most  of  our  present  historical  writing,  which  consists  of  serving  up  a  hash 
of  what  other  historians  have  written  flavoured  with  an  original  spice  of 

error They  are  all  based  on  original  research  and  written  by 

specialists." — Professor  A.  F.  Pollard  in  the  English  Historical  Review. 

"  Sie  bilden  einen  schonen  Beweis  fur  die  rationelle  Art,  mit  der  dort 
dieses  Studium  betrieben  wird." — Professor  O.  Weber  in  Historische 
Zeitschrift. 

The  index  can  be  purchased  separately,  price  6d.  net. 

No.  VII.  STUDIES  SUPPLEMENTARY  TO  STUBBS'  CONSTI- 
TUTIONAL HISTORY.  Vol.  i.  By  Ch.  Petit-Dutaillis,  Litt.D., 
rector  of  the  University  of  Grenoble.  Translated  from  the  French 
by  W.  E.  Rhodes,  M.A.,  and  edited  by  Prof.  James  Tait,  M.A. 
Demy  8vo,  pp.  xiv.  152.     4s.  net  ((Publication  No.  38, 1908.) 

"The  volume  will  be  virtually  indispensable  to  teachers  and  students 
of  history."  — Athenceum. 

"  This  task  has  been  carefully  and  well  performed,  under  the  supervi- 
sion of  Professor  Tait,  who  has  written  a  short  but  adequate  introduc- 
tion. This  little  book,  ought,  without  delay,  to  be  added  to  every 
public  or  private  library  that  contains  a  copy  of  the  classic  work  to 
which  it  forms  an  indispensable  supplement." 

— Dr.  W.  S.  McKechnie  in  the  Scottish  Historical  Review. 

"  These  supplementary  studies  impress  one  as  a  discreet  and  learned 

attempt  to  safeguard  a  public,  which  is  likely  to  learn  all  that  it  will 

know  of  a  great  subject  from  a  single  book,  against  the  shortcomings 

of  that  book." — Professor  A.  B.  White  in  the  American  Historical  Review. 

"  C'est  un  complement  indispensable  de  I'ouvrage  de  Stubbs,  et  Ton 

saura  gre  a  I'Universite  de  Manchester  d'avoir  pris  I'initiative  de  cette 

publication." — M.  Charles  Bemont  in  Revue  Historique. 

"Ce  sont  des  modeles  de  critique  ingenieuse  et  sobre,  une  mise  au  point 


12 


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MANCHESTER  UNIVERSITY  PUBLICATIONS. 

HISTORICAL  SERIES. 

STUDIES  SUPPLEMENTARY  TO  STUBBS'  CONSTITUTIONAL 

HISTORY  (Continued), 
remarquable    des    questions    les    plus    importantes    traitees    jadis    par 
Stubbs." — M.  Louis  Halphen  in  Revue  de  Synthese  historique. 

"ZuderenglishenUebersetzung  dieser  Excurse,  durch  einen  verdienten 
jiingeren  Historiker,  die  durchaus  leicht  wie  Originalstil  fliesst,  hat  Tait 
die  Vorrede  geliefert  und  manche  Note,  die  noch  die  Literatur  von  1908 
beriicksichtigt.  Die  historische  Schule  der  Universitat  Manchester, 
an  Riihrigkeit  und  strenger  Methode  von  keiner  in  England  iibertroffen, 
bietet  mit  der  Veroffentlichung  der  werthvollen  Arbeit  des  Franzosen 
ein  treffliches  Lehrmittel. — Professor  F.  Liebermann,  in  Deutsche 
Literaturzeitung. 

No.  VIII.  MALARIA  AND  GREEK  HISTORY.  By  W.  H.  S.  Jones, 
M.A.  To  which  is  added  the  History  of  Greek  Therapeutics  and 
the  Malaria  Theory  by  E.  T.  Withington,  M.A.,  M.B.  Demy  8vo, 
pp.  xii.  176.     5s.  net.  (Publication  No.  43,  1909.) 

"  Mr.  W.  H.  S.  Jones  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  success  with  which 
he  has  conducted  what  may  be  described  as  a  pioneering  expedition  into 
a  practically  unexplored  field  of  history  ....  the  publishers  are  to  be 
congratulated  on  the  admirable  way  in  which  the  book  has  been  turned 
out— a  joy  to  handle  and  to  read." — Manchester  Guardian. 

"  This  interesting  volume  is  an  endeavour  to  show  that  the  decline  of 
the  Greeks  as  a  people  for  several  centuries  before  and  after  the 
Christian  era  was  largely  due  to  the  prevalence  of  malaria  in  its  various 
forms." — Glasgow  Herald. 

"[The  author]  ....  has  amassed  a  considerable  store  of  valuable 
information  from  the  Greek  classics  and  other  sources  which  will  prove 
extremely  useful  to  all  who  are  interested  in  his  theory." 

— Birmingham  Daily  Post. 
No.  IX.    HANES  GRUFFYDD  AP  CYNAN.     The  Welsh  text  with 
translation,  introduction,  and  notes  by  Arthur  Jones,  M.A.,  .fones 
Fellow  in  History.     Demy  8vo.     Pp.  viii.   204.     6s.  net. 

(Publication  No.  50,  1910,) 

"  No  Welsh  historian  of  the  future  can  afford  to  neglect  this  scholarly 
attempt  to  give  the  work  of  Griffith  ap  Cynan  a  true  historical  setting. 
The  introduction  is  an  ideallv  well-balanced  estimate  of  a  singularly 
quaint  and  beautiful  piece  of  nistory." — Glasgow  Herald. 

"The  Editor  has  prefaced  his  text  with  a  comprehensive  and  nearly 
always  convincing  introduction  of  more  than  100  pages,  besides  copious 
notes.  Nearly  every  page  of  both  contains  matter  of  Irish  historv, 
sometimes  really  new,  since  taken  from  the  document  never  deeply 
studied  before,  and  always  valuable  from  the  new  light  thrown  by  the 
collation  of  independent,  'international'  testimonies.  ...  It  will  at 
once  be  seen  that  we  have  here  a  document  of  the  first  interest  to 
ourselves ;  the  University  and  the  Editor  have  put  us  in  their  debt  for  a 
valuable  contribution  to  our  history." — Freeman's  Journal. 

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HISTORICAL    SERIES. 

No.  X.  THE  CIVIL  WAR  IN  LANCASHIRE.  By  Ernest  Broxap, 
M.A.     Demy  8vo,  pp.  xv.  226.     78.  6d.  net. 

(Publication  No.  51,  1910.) 
"By  a  judicious  use  of  it  he  has  produced  an  eminently  readable  and 
informing  work.  .  .  .  The  University  of  Manchester,  which,  but  for 
the  pressure  of  the  political  situation,  would  have  been  founded  in 
1642,  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  its  choice  of  an  historian  of  the  war  in 
Lancashire. " — A  thenceum. 

"  Mr.  Broxap's  monograph  must  be  welcomed  as  the  most  important 
of  tho^  hitherto  given  to  history  to  illuminate  the  county  aspect  ot 

the  Civil  War The  whole  book   is  very  carefully  revised  and 

accurate  in  its  details,  full  and  satisfactory,  and  the  order  in  which  the 
story  is  told  is  excellent.  The  index  is  also  sufficient,  and  the  whole 
study  is  amply  annotated.  Altogether,  both  the  author  and  the 
Manchester  University  Press  are  to  be  thoroughly  congratulated  upon 
the  volume." — Morning   Post. 

"  It   is   clear   that   Mr.    Broxap    has   minutely   studied    all    available 
original  materials  and  that  he  uses  them  with  care  and  discrimination. 
.  .  .  the  highest  praise  that  can  be  given  to  the  author  of  a  historical 
monograph   is  that  he   set  out  to  produce  a   book   that   was   wanted, 
does   that  extremely  well,   and   does  nothing   else,   and   to   this   praise 
Mr.  Broxap  is  fully  entitled." — Westminster  Gazette. 
No.    XI.      A   BIOGRAPHY   OF   THOMAS   DEACON,   THE   MAN- 
CHESTER NON-JUROR.     By  Henry  Broxap,   M.A.     Demy  8vo, 
pp.  xix.  215,  2  plates.     7s.  6d.  net.         (Publication  No.  59,  1911.) 
THE    EJECTED    OF    1662:    Their    Predecessors    and    Successors  in 
Cumberland  and  Westmorland.     By  B.  Nightingale,  M.A. 

{In  the  Press. 

DOCUMENTS    RELATING    TO  IRELAND  UNDER  THE    COM- 
MON W^EALTH.    By  Robert  Dunlop,  M.A.,  Lecturer  on  Irish 
History.     In  2  volumes,  demy  8vo. 
This  work  will  consist  of  a  series  of  unpublished  documents  relating 
to  the  History  of  Ireland  from  1651  to  1659,  arranged,  modernized,  and 
edited,  with  introduction,  notes,  etc.,  by  Mr.  Dunlop. 

\ln  Preparation. 

MEDICAL    SERIES. 

No.  I.  SKETCHES  OF  THE  LIVES  AND  WORK  OF  THE 
HONORARY  MEDICAL  STAFF  OF  THE  ROYAL  INFIRMARY. 
From  its  foundation  in  1752  to  1830,  when  it  became  the  Royal 
Infirmary.  By  Edward  Mansfield  Brockbank,  M.D.,  M.R.C.P. 
Crown  4to.   (illustrated),  pp.  vii.  311.     15s.  net. 

(Publication  No.   1,  1904.) 
"Dr.   Brockbank's  is  a  book  of  varied  interest.     It  also   deserves  a 
welcome  as  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  '  Publications  of  the  University  of 
Manchester.'  " — Manchester  Guardian. 


14 


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MEDICAL  SERIES. 

No.  II.  PRACTICAL  PRESCRIBING  AND  DISPENSING.  For 
Medical  Students.  By  William  Kirkby,  sometime  Lecturer  in 
Pharmacognosy  in  the  Owens  College,  Manchester.  Crown  8vo, 
pp.   iv.    194.     58.   net. 

(Publication   No.    2,    1904,    Second  edition,    1906.) 

"The  whole  of  the  matter  bears  the  impress  of  that  technical  skill 
and  thoroughness  with  which  Mr.  Kirkby's  name  must  invariably  bo 
associated,  and  the  book  must  be  welcomed  as  one  of  the  most  usefu/ 
recent  additions  to  the  working  library  of  prescribers  and  dispensers." 

— Pharmaceutical    Journal. 

"  Thoroughly  practical  text-books  on  the  subject  are  so  rare,  that  we 
welcome  with  pleasure  Mr.  William  Kirkby's  *  Practical  Prescribing  and 
Dispensing.'  The  book  is  written  by  a  pharmacist  expressly  for  medical 
students,  and  the  author  has  been  most  happy  in  conceiving  its  scope 
and  arrangement." — British  Medical  Journal. 

No.  III.  HANDBOOK  OF  SURGICAL  ANATOMY.  By  G.  A. 
Wright,  B.A.,  M.B.  (Oxon.),  F.R.C.S.,  Professor  of  Systematic 
Surgery,  and  C.  H.  Preston,  M.D.,  F.R.C.S.,  L.D.S.,  Lecturer  on 
Dental  Anatomy ;  Assistant  Dental  Surgeon  to  the  Victoria  Dental 
Hospital  of  Manchester.  Crown  8vo,  pp.  ix.  205  5s.  net.  Second 
edition.     [Philadelphia:  Blakiston.]       (Publication  No.  6,  1905.) 

"Dr.  Wright  and  Dr.  Preston  have  produced  a  concise  and  very 
readable  little  handbook  of  surgical  applied  anatomy.  .  .  .  The  subject 
matter  of  the  book  is  well  arranged  and  the  marginal  notes  in  bold  type 
facilitate  reference  to  any  desired  point." — Lancet. 

No.  IV.  A  COURSE  OF  INSTRUCTION  IN  OPERATIVE 
SURGERY  in  the  University  of  Manchester.  By  William 
Thorburn,  M.D.,  B.S.  (Lond.),  F.R.C.S.,  Lecturer  in  Operative 
Surgery.     Crown  8vo,  pp.  75  (interleaved),  26  Figures  in  the  Text. 

2s.  6d.  net.  (Publication  No.  11,  1906.) 

"This  little  book  gives  the  junior  student  all  that  he  wants,  and 
nothing  that  he  does  not  want.  Its  size  is  handy,  and  altogether  for  its 
its  purpose  it  is  excellent." — University  Review. 

No.  V.  A  HANDBOOK  OF  LEGAL  MEDICINE.  By  W.  Sellers, 
M.D.  (London),  of  the  Middle  Temple,  and  Northern  Circuit, 
Barrister-at-law.     With   7   Illustrations.     Crown  8vo,  pp.    vii.    233. 

7s.  6d.  net.  (Publication  No.  14,  1906.) 

■'  This  is  quite  one  of  the  best  books  of  the  kind  we  have  come 
across." — Law  Times. 


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MEDICAL    SERIES. 

No.  VI.  A  CATALOGUE  OF  THE  PATHOLOGICAL  MUSEUM 
OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MANCHESTER.  Edited  by  J. 
LoRRAiN  Smith,  M.A.,  M.D.  (Edin.),  Professor  of  Pathology. 
Crown  4to,  1260  pp.     7s.  6d.  net.       (Publication  No.   15,  1906.) 

"  The  catalogue  compares  very  favourably  with  others  of  a  similar 
character,  and,  apart  from  its  value  for  teaching  purposes  in  an  im- 
portant medical  school  such  as  that  of  the  University  of  Manchester,  it 
IS  capable  of  being  of  great  assistance  to  others  as  a  work  of  reference." 

— Edinburgh  Medical  Journal. 

"In  conclusion  we  need  only  say  that  Professor  Lorrain  Smith  has 
performed  the  most  essential  part  of  his  task — the  description  of  the 
specimens — excellently  and  an  honourable  mention  must  be  made  of 
the  book  as  a  publication." — British  Medical  Journal. 

No.  VII.  HANDBOOK  OF  DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART.  By 
Graham  Steell,  M.D.,  F.R.C.P.,  Professor  of  Medicine,  and 
Physician  to  the  Manchester  Royal  Infirmary.  Crown  8vo, 
pp.  xii.  389,  11  plates  (5  in  colours),  and  100  illustrations  in  the  text. 
7s.  6d.  net.  (Publication  No.  20,  1906.) 

"  It  more  truly  reflects  modern  ideas  of  heart  disease  than  any  book 
we  are  acquainted  with,  and  therefore  may  be  heartily  recommended  to 
our  readers." — Treatment. 

"  We  regard  this  volume  as  an  extremely  useful  guide  to  the  study  of 
diseases  of  the  heart,  and  consider  that  no  better  introduction  to  the 
subject  could  possibly  have  been  written." 

— Medical  Times  and  Hospital  Gazette. 
"  We  can  cordially  recommend  Dr.  Steell's  book  as  giving  an  excellent 
and  thoroughly  practical  account  of  the  subject  of  which  it  treats." 

— Edinburgh  Medical  Review. 

No.  VIII.  JULIUS  DRESCHFELD.  IN  MEMORIAM.  Medical 
Studies  by  his  colleagues  and  pupils  at  the  Manchester  University 
and  the  Royal  Infirmary.  Imperial  8vo,  pp.  vi.  246.  With  a 
Photogravure  and  43  Plates.    lOs.  6d.  net.   (Publication  No.  35, 1908.) 

"A  worthy  memorial  of  one  who  left  no  small  mark  upon  the  study  of 
clinical  pathology  in  this  country." — British  Medical  Journal. 

"The  papers  which  compose  the  bulk  of  the  volume  have  been  re- 
printed from  the  Manchester  Chronicle,  vol.  xiv,  and  they  are  of  both 
interest  and  permanent  value." — Scottish  Medical  Journal. 

"The  editor,  Dr.  Brockbank,  can  be  congratulated  upon  editing  a 
volume  that  will  fitly  perpetuate  the  memory  of  his  eminent  colleague." 

— Medical  Review. 


16 


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MEDICAL    SERIES. 

No.  IX.      HANDBOOK  OF  INFECTIOUS  DISEASES.      By  R.  W. 
Mabsden,    M.D.     Crown   8vo,    pp.    vi.    296.     58.    net. 

(Publication  No.  39,  1908.) 
"  This  book  aims  at  giving  a  practical  account  of  the  various  infectious 
diseases,  suitable  for  ready  reference  in  everyday  work,  and  the  author 
has,  on  the  whole,  succeeded  admirably  in  his  attempt." — The  Lancet. 
"  The  subject  matter  is  well  arranged  and  easy  of  reference." 

— The  Medical  Officer. 
"Throughout    the    book    the    information    given    seems    thoroughly 
adequate,  and  especial  attention  is  paid  to  diagnosis." 

— Scottish  Medical  Journal. 
No.   X.     LECTURES  ON  THE   PATHOLOGY  OF   CANCER.     By 
Charles    Powell   White,   M.A.,    M.D.,   F.R.C.S.       Imperial    Svo 
pp.  X.  83,  33  plates.     3s.  6d.  net.  (Publication  No.  42,  1908.) 

"The  volume  is  a  model  of  scientific  self-restraint.  In  four  chapters 
the  author  covers  in  simple  language  much  that  is  of  main  interest  in 
the  present  phase  of  investigation  of  cancer  .  .  . 

"  The  volume  ...  is  well  illustrated  with  statistical  charts  and 
photomicrographs,  and  its  perusal  must  prove  profitable  to  all  who  wish 
to  be  brought  up-to-date  in  the  biology  of  cancer." — Nature. 

"  Full  of  scholarly  information  and  illustrated  with  a  number  of 
excellent  black-and-white  plates." — Medical  Press. 

"  These  lectures  give  a  short  resrune  of  recent  work  on  the  subject  in 
an  easily  assimilable  form." — St.  Bartholomew's  Hos'pital  Journal. 
No.  XL    SEMMELWEIS:   HIS   LIFE   AND   HIS  DOCTRINE.    A 
chapter  in  the  history  of  Medicine.  By  Sir  William  J.  Sinclair, 
M.A.,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics  and  Gynaecology  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Manchester.    Imperial  8vo,  pp.  x.  369,  2  plates.     7s.  6d.  net. 

(Publication  No,  46,  1909.) 

"  Semmelweis  has  found  a  worthy  biographer  who  has  made  a 
noteworthy  contribution  to  medical  literature,  and  whose  understanding 
of  the  work  and  sympathy  for  the  trial  of  his  subject  are  obvious." 

— Dublin  Journal  of  Medical  Science 

"Das   wahrhaft   vomehm    geschriebene   Buch    des   auch   bei    uns   in 

Deutschland  hochverehrten  englischen  Kollegen  spricht  fiir    sich  selbst. 

Es  ist  berufen,  in  dem  Vaterlande  Lister's  auch  dem  grossen  Martyrer 

Semmelweis  Gerechtigkeit  zuteil  werden  zu  lassen." 

— Zentralbldtt  fiir  Gyndkologie. 
"There  should  be  a  wide  public,  lay  as  well  as  medical,  for  a  book 
as  full  of  historical,  scientific  and  human  interest  as  this  'Life  of 
Semmelweis.'  ...  Sir  William  Sinclair's  book  is  of  the  greatest  interest, 
and  we  are  glad  to  welcome  an  adequate  English  appreciation  of 
Semmelweis,  who  certainly  ranks  among  the  'heroes  of  medicine.'" 

— Nature. 
"It  is  a  book  all  obstetricians  and  research  men  should  read." 

— Scottish  Medical  Journal. 

"A  most  instructive  and  interesting  biography  of  the  discoverer  of 

the  cause  of  puerperal  fever.  .  .  .  The  book  is  well  printed  and  bound." 

— Medical  Review 


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MEDICAL    SERIES. 

No.  XII.   MODERN  PROBLEMS  IN  PSYCHIATRY.   By  E.  LUGARO, 

Professor  of  Nervous  and  Mental  Diseases  in  the  University  of  Modena. 

Translated  from  the  Italian  by  David  Orr,  M.D,,  Assistant  Medical 

Officer   and    Pathologist   to   the    County    Asylum,    Prestwich ;    and 

R.  G.  Rows,  M.D.,  Assistant  Medical  Officer  and  Pathologist  to  the 

County  Asylum,  Lancaster.    With  an  introduction  by  T.  S.  Clouston, 

M.D.,  Physician  Superintendent,  Royal  Asylum,   Momingside,  and 

Lecturer  on  Mental  Diseases  in  Edinburgh  University.  Imperial 

8vo,  pp.  viii.  305, 8  plates.      78.  6d.  net.      (Publication  No.  47, 1909. ) 

"  Professor   Lugaro  is   to    be   congratulated   upon   the   masterly   and 

judicious  survey  of  his  subject  which  he  has  given  to  the  world  in  this 

work.     Not  only  have  we  a  succinct  and  clear  exposition  of  the  present 

state   of   our   knowledge,   but   we   are   confronted   with   a  tale    of   the 

inexhaustible  work  that  lies  before  ua."— Lancet. 

"  The  work  should  be  on  the  shelf  of  every  pathologist  and  asylum 
physician ;  it  is  thoughtful,  suggestive  and  well  written.  The  translation 
also  is  excellent." — Nature. 

"The  book  is  a  very  distinct  addition  to  the  literature  of  psychiatry, 
and  one  which  will  well  repay  careful  study." 

— Californian  Medical  Journal. 

"  The  whole  book  is  suggestive  in  the  highest  degree,  and  well  worthy 

of  careful  study.     Dr.  David  Orr  and  Dr.  R.  G.  Rows,  the  translators, 

are  to  be   heartily  congratulated   on  the   manner   in   which  they   have 

rendered  the  original  into  terse  and  idiomatic  English." — Athenceum. 

No.  XIII.  FEEBLEMINDEDNESS  IN  CHILDREN  OF  SCHOOL 
AGE.  By  C.  Paget  Lapage,  M.D.,  M.R.C.P.  With  an  Appendix 
on  Treatment  and  Training  by  Mary  Dendy,  M.A.  Crown  Svo. 
pp.  xvi.  359,  12  Plates.     5s.  net.  (Publication  No.  57,  1911.) 

PHYSICAL  SERIES. 

No.  I.  THE  PHYSICAL  LABORATORIES  OF  THE  UNIVER- 
SITY OF  MANCHESTER.  A  record  of  25  years' work.  Demy  Svo, 
pp.  viii.  142,  with  a  Photogravure,  10  Plates,  and  4  Plans.     5s.  net. 

(Publication  No.  13,  1906.) 

This  volume  contains  an  illustrated  description  of  the  Physical, 
Electrical  Engineering,   and   Electro -Chemistry  Laboratories  of   the 
Manchester    University,    also   a   complete    Biographical   and    Biblio- 
graphical Record  of  those  who  have  worked  in  the  Physics  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  during  the  past  25  years. 
"This   interesting    and    valuable   contribution   to   the   history    of   the 
Manchester  University  also  contains  several  illustrations,  and  forms  the 
first  of  the  '  physical  series '  of  the  publications  of  the  University  of 
Manchester." — The  Times. 

"  It  is  a  memorial  of  which  any  man  would  be  justly  proud,  and  the 
University  of  which  he  is  both  an  alumnus  and  a  professor  may  well 
share  that  pride." — Manchester  Guardian. 


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PUBLIC   HEALTH   SERIES. 

No.  I.  ARCHIVES  OF  THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH  LABORATORY 
OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MANCHESTER.  Edited  by 
A.  Sheridan  Delepine,  M.Sc,  M.B.,  Ch.  M.,  Director  of  the 
Laboratory  and  Proctor  Professor  of  Comparative  Pathology  and 
Bacteriology.     Crown  4to.  pp.  iv.  451.     £l.  Is.  net. 

(Publication  No.  12,  1906.) 
"The  University  of  Manchester  has  taken  the  important  and  highly 
commendable  step  of  commencing  the  publication  of  the  archives  of  its 
Public  Health  Laboratory,  and  has  issued,  under  the  able  and  judicious 
editorship  of  Professor  Sheridan  Delepine,  the  first  volume  of  a  series 
that  promises  to  be  of  no  small  interest  and  value  alike  to  members  of 
the  medical  profession  and  to  those  of  the  laity.  .  .  .  Original  communica- 
tions bearing  upon  diseases  which  are  prevalent  in  the  districts  sur- 
rounding Manchester,  or  dealing  with  food-  and  water-supplies,  air, 
disposal  of  refuse,  sterilisation  and  disinfection  and  kindred  subjects, 
will  be  published  in  future  volumes ;  and  it  is  manifest  that  these,  as 
they  successively  appear,  will  form  a  constantly  increasing  body  of  trust- 
«vorthy  information  upon  subjects  which  are  not  only  of  the  highest 
interest  to  the  profession  but  of  supreme  importance  to  the  public." 

— The  Lancet. 

THEOLOGICAL    SERIES. 

No.  I.  INAUGURAL  LECTURES  delivered  during  the  Session 
1904-5,  by  the  Professors  and  Lecturers  of  the  Faculty  of  Theology, 
viz.  : — 

Prof.  T.  F.  Tout,  M.A.  ;  Prof.  A.  S.  Peake,  B.D. ;  Prof.  H.  W. 
Hogg,  M.A. ;  Prof.  T.  W.  Rhys  Davids,  LL.D. ;  Rev.  W.  F. 
Adeney,  D.D. ;  Rev.  A.  Gordon,  M.A.  ;  Rev.  L.  Hasse,  B.D.  ;  Rev. 
Canon  E.  L.  Hicks,  M.A.  ;  Rev.  H.  D.  Lockett,  M.A. ;  Rev.  R. 
Mackintosh,  D.D  ;  Rev.  J.  T.  Marshall,  D.D. ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Moulton, 
D.Litt. 

Edited  by  A  S.  Peake,  B.D.,  Dean  of  the  Faculty. 
Demy  8vo,  pp.  xi.  296.     78.  6d.  net.        (Publication  No.  9,  1905.) 

"  The  lectures,  while  scholarly,  are  at  the  same  time  popular,  and  will 
be  found  interesting  and  instructive  by  those  who  are  not  theologians. 
....  The  entire  series  is  excellent,  and  the  volume  deserves  a  wide 
circulation." — Scotsman. 

"The  lectures  themselves  give  a  valuable  conspectus  of  the  present 
position  of  Theological  research.  .  .  .  They  are,  of  course,  not  addressed 
to  experts,  but  they  are  exceedingly  valuable,  even  when  allowance  is 
made  for  their  more  or  less  popular  form." — Examiner. 

"  This  is  a  most  interesting  and  valuable  book,  the  appearance  of  which 
at  the  present  moment  is  singularly  significant.  .  .  .  But  it  is  impossible 
in  a  brief  review  to  indicate  all  the  treasures  of  this  rich  volume,  to 
read  which  carefully  is  to  be  introduced  to  the  varied  wealth  of  modern 
Biblical  scholarship." — Baptist. 

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LECTURES. 

No.  I.  GARDEN  CITIES  (Warburton  Lecture).  By  Ralph  Nevilli, 
K.C.     6d.  net.  (Lecture  No.  1,  1905.) 

No.  II.  THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  AND  THE  STATE  (A  Lecture). 
By  Sir  Felix  Schuster.     6d.  net.  (Lecture  No.  2,  1905.) 

No.  III.  BEARING  AND  IMPORTANCE  OF  COMMERCIAL 
TREATIES  IN  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY.  By  Sir  Thomas 
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